


The Inbetween

by Zoodan21



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Haunted Houses, Horror, Literally the Void, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, dont buy a new house kids, its a ghost story but with no ghosts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-19 15:53:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14240685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoodan21/pseuds/Zoodan21
Summary: Taako liked to ignore it. There really was no reason to acknowledge that his new house was weird. Which is definitely wasn’t.Taako moves into a new house, the old tenant hasn't exactly moved out.





	1. No Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I'm Anna and i like existential horror and everything creepy
> 
> And i haven't been able to find much of that in this fandom so yknow if you want something you sometimes has to make it yourself

Taako liked to ignore it. There really was no reason to acknowledge that his new house was  _ weird _ . Which is definitely wasn’t. 

 

It was just nerves, Taako had never lived completely on his own before, let alone in a big house and in a short time he was going to look back at this and call himself a superstitious idiot. As soon as he got used to living there everything would be fine, but right now the house felt unnatural. 

 

There’s just always something that is off with it.   

  
  


\----

  
  


There’s a door slamming shut somewhere in the house. Taako wakes up to moonlight shining in through the window and blue curtains, it looks like a filter has been put over the whole room. The clock is ticking, but the noise is dulled and skips a beat every now and then, not that Taako really notices. His day had been awful and filled with annoying people, and the only thing he’s wanted when getting home was some fucking good sleep, but no, that’s not gonna happen apparently. 

Another door slams shut. Taako doesn’t remember if he opened any windows, but he’s super sure that he didn’t leave any door open. The house has an open floor plan and four doors in total, not counting the entrance, so it’s not something that’s hard to miss. He carefully rolls over to the other side of the bed and stares at the handle to the door of his bedroom. 

 

Taako can feel his heart beating to the rhythm of the clock, eyes wide open and body unmoving. He’s holding his breath, and it feels like the room is as well. There’s something in his room, casing a chill to run down Taako’s spine and the blue lit room doesn’t feel safe anymore.

 

The door to his closet slowly opens, Taako can hear the sound of the hinges moving, it sounds as loud as the slamming before. He’s still looking at the door, but the wardrobe is just a few feet to the side. The noise echoes seamlessly in the room, mixing with the sound of clothes being moved around. Taako’s lungs are burning, he needs to breathe. 

 

Slowly, cautiously, he inhales and tries to ignore the sense that someone, some _ thing _ , else does the same.

 

The door creaks again. Taako wants to ignore it, want’s to continue staring at the door and ignore everything until it’s morning and daytime and when everything is normal. But he can’t. His eyes drift over to the wardrobe and the open door.     

 

The light from outside the window should have been enough for Taako to see the outline of the clothes in the closet, but it’s a dark void. The light doesn’t seem to touch it and the more Taako stares the bigger it seems to grow. It slowly drips out from the closet and it looks like someone had eaten away a part of reality. It’s unreal, mesmerising, it’s watching him-

Taako blinks, and the darkness does the same. 

 

\----

  
  


Taako wakes up the next morning feeling the exact opposite of refreshed, the alarm on his phone going off even if it was Saturday and he had planned on sleeping in. Groaning Taako sits up in the bed and stretches, looking around the room. The sky outside is gray, on the brink of raining, and the door to the wardrobe is closed. Just like yesterday evening. Of course, there was no reason it shouldn’t have been.

 

The cold from the floor creeps up his legs as Taako walks over to the door and grabs his bathrobe, he used to have a pair of slippers that matched the fluffy yellow of the robe, but they got lost when he moved so Taako resigns himself to walking around with cold feet. He doesn’t feel like opening the wardrobe and picking out a pair of socks. 

 

His bedroom is right next to the kitchen, newly renovated with a kitchen isle and extra bit dishwasher. It was the main reason Taako had bought the house. Usually on weekends Taako would make himself a grand breakfast and take his time eating it, but not today. Instead he makes toast and hot chocolate from scratch, this might be lazy morning but Taako has class and is above making it from not-actually-cocoa powder and water that’s heated in the microwave  _ thank you very much. _ Taako still brings his his breakfast to the sofa as always though, and starts the TV. He places the cup with hot chocolate on the table, takes a bite out of his toast and leans back. 

 

There’s nothing interesting really, Taako skips over morning talk shows, Fox News, NBC News, some other news channel, middle-aged woman talking about an ugly purse, classical music, static, static, static -

 

“Huh...” Taako raises his eyebrows at the TV. He has over 200 channels it’s impossible that all of them are static. Except that it is possible. Soon he’s back on the channel number that he started on, and there’s no talkshow, no news, no talk about purses and he skips to the next one. The classical music is the only thing working.

 

Well, there’s no reason to have the TV on if all he can watch is Clair de Lune in concert or whatever. Taako pushes the ‘off’ button on the remote, reaches forward to grab his cup that he placed on the coffee table and looks up and  _ freezes. _

 

Taako can see his own reflection in the screen, curled up in the sofa with his hot chocolate in one and and the remote in the other, but there’s  _ something  _ behind him.

 

It’s tall. Dark and moving and vaguely shaped like a human, maybe. There’s two glowing orbs moving around where the eyes should have been and it’s edges are turning into static. Taako stares, petrified, as the thing turns into pure static and the TV turns itself on again.  The thing melts into the static of the screen until it’s only a pair of white orbs left, observing him, until they disappear as well. 

 

Then, the channel switches back to the classical music. 

Taako scrambles up from the sofa and looks behind him. There’s nothing there.

 

“What the  _ fuck?”  _  Panicked, Taako turns the TV off again only for it to turn into static and continue playing Clair de Lune. He tires again, and again and again, still the same results. The concert has switched song, now they’re playing Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. 

 

Slowly Taako moves closer to the TV, and reaches down and pulls the TV - cable from the outlet.  Finally the room is quiet. Until Taako hears the awful sound of static from the screen, before it turns into Mozart. Ho looks at the TV and in glowing letters the word  _ STOP  _ is written in bold. 

 

Taako puts his hands over his mouth and lets out a muffled scream.


	2. Warm Wine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a slight warning for this chapter, you can find it at the end notes 
> 
> I'm so happy that a lot of you like this!! I wasn't expecting so many people to read it at first so Than You <3333
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!!

 

The only thing that stopped Taako from smashing the TV to bits was the fact that it was brand new, and he really didn’t want to spend money on buying yet another TV. So the music’s still playing, even without any electricity going to the screen.

 

After that, the only thing left to do was get drunk.

 

Taako had always been a fan of wine, and over the years he had cultivated quite a taste for good quality and vintage brands. But today he’s breaking out the biggest bottle of cheap american-made red wine that tastes too much like water and looks like strawberry lemonade.

 

It’s not even past 10 in the morning and Taako’s reaching for the biggest glass he owns and pouring wine into it like he hadn’t had a drink in years. His hands are shaking as the wine nearly spills over the top and he brings the bottle down on the kitchen counter hard. The sound echoes through the house, mixing with the sound playing in the background. Still he doesn’t feel alone.

 

He doesn’t remember when he moved from the living room part to the kitchen, and Taako doesn’t actually give a fuck about it either. It’s like his mind is empty. Not really focusing on anything real, just thoughts swirling around and trying to make sense of whatever _it_ was that he had seen. The wine doesn’t taste much when he swallows it down, and Taako feels his eyes drift over to the spot where it had been standing, like a cut-out moving silhouette in reality, leaving only a gaping hole revealing darkness and static.

Taako lowers the glass and rubs his eyes with his right hand. The concept of haunted houses had never appealed to him, but this was something completely different. No horror story had ever talked about freaking body less shapes that took over televisions and acted like a vacuum for everything around it.

 

It was impossible. And yet it existed within his house.

 

“This is fine. It’s just, uhhhh, something weird happening right now,” Taako has to admit that he’s not good at convincing himself. “I didn’t see or hear shit that doesn’t happen’ in other houses also. This is chill. ”

 

Sighing, Taako leans his right elbow on the counter and then breathes in through his nose. The air smells of iron and the glass in his hand is _warm_.

 

“What in the ever loving Jesus Christ-!” Taako looks down and feels faint. The red in his glass isn’t the same anymore. It’s a beating, bloody human _heart_. The cut off arteries are pumping out blood into the glass and its full of dark clumps, like its begin to coagulate inside the heart.  

At the same time, the noise from the TV surges and now there’s a clip of a man in a dark room screaming _Don’t look_! being looped over and over. Where the man’s eyes should have been are two glowing orbs.  

 

Taako drops the glass to the floor. It breaks and spills out wine, staining the tiles.

 

“I’m not looking! I’m not!” He shouts at the TV, “See? Just focusing on the creepy TV in my house that on by itself!”

The TV doesn’t stop, the man voice turns more and more distorted until it’s just a jumble of words. Then the static starts again, and Taako is _never_ going to be able to look at the image again without getting nightmares. Taako takes a step backwards and can’t really avoid looking down to miss stepping on the shards on the tile floor, but they're spread around him in a perfect circle.

 

Just as he is out of the kitchen Taako hears how the TV switches channel. Taako glances back, now the scene has changed. Instead of the man it’s a monochrome clip of a woman wiping away her tears with black gloves on and saying _My heart, my poor poor heart…_ again and again. Taako doesn’t stick around long enough to find out if her eyes also glows.

 

Normally in horror movies the main character/idiot would stick around and try to ‘find out’ what’s actually happening, and then get themselves killed in some ungodly way when they got to close to the truth. Well Taako had no desire to find out what the hell is wrong with his house or get killed. Instead he runs to his bedroom and locks the door behind him.

 

In the back of his mind, Taako doesn’t actually think it will help, but the notion behind it makes him feel a bit calmer. Even if _the thing_ in his house most unfortunately can open doors. He stands for a moment with his head resting against the wall near the door. Listening to any other sound than the crying woman on the TV. There is none. He breathes out and backs a few steps towards the bed.

 

As Taako turns around to reach for his phone in the middle of the bed he can hear the wardrobe door open, hinges squeaking the exact way it had done during the night. He doesn’t want to turn around, doesn’t want to know what will be standing there and Taako absolutely doesn’t want to acknowledge that it’s real. So he stays with his back turned, but in the mirror hanging on the wall he can see the farthest outline of it, and as always, it looks like a hole in existence. The world seemed to stop at its edges, and Taako was weirdly reminded of a starless sky.          

 

Someone inhales, it’s not Taako. The thing’s shape changes, expanding before deflating.

 

“ _I’m sorry_ .” There is a voice in the room, but it doesn’t seem to come from anywhere and it echoes around the room. “ _I’m not- you weren’t. Meant to see that._ ” The voice isn’t consistent, the tone changes and the words don’t fit spoken in a sentence together. They are like a collage made up of phrases, creating something that is forced to collaborate and make up a whole picture of words.

 

“Eh,” Taako doesn’t know what to say. “That’s cool dude.” It’s not cool. “Just wine turning into human organs, it happens all the time ya know?”

 

There’s the sound of static again. “ _I. can’t stop it from happening. Sorry._ ”

 

“What are you?” Is what Taako replies back. The void moves again, parts of it melts away and leaves bubbles of it floating around in thin air. The glowing orbs drift across the body until they are staring at Taako through the mirror.

  
The orbs blink but it doesn’t answer. The crying from the TV is heard through the locked door. _My heart, my poor poor heart…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Somewhat gory description of a human heart thats been cut out and is pumping blood, if this isn't for you then skip the part where Taako starts drinking wine 
> 
> thanks to all the people who commented on the last chapter!!! you're all amazing people!!


	3. There's no comfort in the pillow

Taako wakes up the following night by the sound of a door slamming shut.

 

This night, there’s no moonlight to illuminate the room and he can only see the vague shapes of his furniture around the room. It’s raining outside, light spring rain that makes small tapping noises when it hits the window.

 

The second door slams shut. Taako can’t hear anyone moving through the house, he should be the only one inside. But of course things aren’t that simple.

 

Just like the night before, he feels a chill running down his back and Taako _knows_ there’s something else in his room. It’s as real to him as the rain outside, even if it shouldn’t be. There’s a lot of things that should be a certain way in the house that aren’t. The uncanny feeling of fear shouldn’t be the same as last night, Taako is sure he knows what will happen, but it doesn’t make it better.

 

The clock’s ticking is uneven sometimes skipping over a second or two and then jumping over a second the next, Taako doesn’t know how much time has passed. He is facing the opposite wall, and this time he’s not turning around. If he looks in the mirror he might be able to catch a glimpse of it, but no. He’s not going to do that. Taako is going to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep and hope that the dark void goes away. The door to his closet opens, and Taako squeezes his eyes shut even harder.

 

The hinges protest lightly, and he doesn’t want to think about why the doors are moving, so he focuses on breathing slowly. In… Out… In… Out…

 

The thing in his room is breathing in the same pace as him, and it takes everything he’s got for Taako to not shudder and give himself away. It doesn’t seem to do anything for a long while, but then Taako can feel it looking at him, observing, before there’s a new sound.

 

It reminds Taako of the way the cat Lup had brought home scratches on the door whenever she wants to go outside, but it’s more blunt and it’s coming from the wardrobe. It might be the thing doing the noise, but Taako hadn’t thought it had a physical shape, and it doesn’t sound like it’s coming from inside the room. It sounds like it’s from behind the thin wood of the back of the closet, which is _strange_ but not stranger than anything else in this house.

 

And then the thing speaks, and Taako recognises it as that woman on the TV yesterday. _My heart, my poor poor heart…_ But it’s much quieter than before, like the thing doesn’t want to wake Taako up.

 

The phrase repeats itself over and over again, and Taako deparetly doesn’t want to fall asleep with that thing in his room, but it’s getting harder and harder to focus on the noise. So he blinks open one eye, and stares at the wall. It feels daring, like the void will notice him and- well, Taako doesn’t know what it would _do_ but surely something. Still, staring at a wall with the sound of rain and a overused phrase in the background doesn’t make him more awake.

 

He lets his eyes wander around the room for a bit, and in the end, Taako’s gaze is drawn to the mirror.

 

He can’t see clearly, but the thing has changed it’s form. Instead of looking like just a non specific shape, now it looks humanoid, but there’s something very _off_ about it. It’s arms are too long and thin, and its torso looks weird, like someone had sucked out all the inner organs and bones and just left the skin. It got a head, and Taako can see one of the glowing orbs in place of eyes from the mirror, moving around a bit over the darkness.

 

It’s sitting on front of the wardrobe, not scratching at the wood like Taako thought, but simply staring into it as the scratching continues. The woman’s voice stops, and there’s a deep sigh, before it stands up and goes back to its usual form and slips inside the closet.

 

Before the door closes, one of the orbs looks in the mirror and Taako looks back at it. His heart is beating loudly, and it feels like it drowns out all other noise in the room. Maybe it is. But the void doesn’t do anything, just stares at him until the door closes completely, leaving Taako with his beating heart and a wrongly ticking clock and rain.   

 

Nothing feels real. Taako can barely keep his eyes open. It’s too much but at the same time nothing happened, there’s something living in his house and Taako doesn’t know what it’s doing there.

 

He falls asleep.

 

\----

  


At 7:30 the next morning Taako’s last set alarm wakes him up. He doesn’t feel well rested, and he only has an hour before he’s supposed to be in the kitchen of his restaurant. There’s 2 good things about working in  the kitchen, 1, he doesn’t have to wear makeup because it would smear, and 2, he doesn’t have to wear any fancy clothes because of the uniform-rule the kitchen had in place.

 

But it doesn’t make it any easier for Taako to get out of bed and grab the clothes he needs for the day before stumbling into the bathroom to put everything on. When Taako looks at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he can’t help but cringe. Clearly the night had not been merciful on his hair, now it looked like a birds nest that had been put together during a storm.  But he doesn’t have time to shower so Taako simply puts his brush under a hot stream of water from the sink and nearly rips his hair off trying to force it trough.

 

Most of the knots in his hair come undone but Taako still braids it, mostly to avoid it getting in the way of him cooking but also because it looked better. The warm water has fogged up the mirror and when Taako reches forward to wipe it off, there’s something else reflecting behind the fog. The two glowing orbs are looking at him.

 

Taako whips his head around to stare at the wall behind him. Nothing. But the orbs are still looking at him from behind the mirror.

 

He takes one last look behind him, and then Taako runs out of the house, nearly missing to both grab his coat and locking the door before he’s in the car. His heart doesn't stop being until he has arrived to work.

 

\----

 

Taako comes home sometime after 6 feeling tired and ready to go the sleep. He walks the short way from his car to the house and frowns as he gets closer. Taako was pretty sure that he had turned all the lights off before he went to work, so why was there light coming from the kitchen windows? It’s stupid question. There’s only one other thing that exists in Taako’s house.

 

Suddenly, he didn’t feel so excited to be home.

 

Slowly, Taako sticks the key into the lock and turns it around but he doesn’t open the door, not immediately. Instead he looks around, sighs and goes inside.

 

Nothing seems odd at first. Taako takes of his coat and hangs it up and then goes into the kitchen. The TV is on.

 

The void is standing beside it, shapeless with its orbs focusing on Taako. Around the edges of it, static is moving and the TV seems to be switching channels randomly.

 

“Hello.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahah its 1 am here so if i did any mistakes please tell me!!
> 
> Thanks to all of you who has given me kudos and commented and bookmarked <33 it means so much!!!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @ Newspapernom if you ever wanna chat!!


	4. Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW TAGS HAVE BEEN ADDED  
> IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO GORE PLEASE BE CAREFUL
> 
> Otherwise!!!! Let's go!!!! <333

_ “Hello.” _

 

Taako stares. It’s not the first time the thing has spoken, but that doesn’t mean he’s used to it. The void is looking at him, and Taako realizes it wants him to respond. 

 

“Can you turn the TV off?” It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but the TV switched to  _ Golden Girls,  _ and honestly Taako isn’t about to have a serious conversation with whatever the hell it was that lived in his house if Blanche Devereaux was in the background explaining the emotion behind the color Magenta. (Even if it was a good episode)

 

The void doesn’t do exactly as he says, but the image of Blanche gets more and more distorted until it’s only static left. There’s a clicking noise and then it speaks again. 

 

“You should. Get out.” Is still doesn’t have a consistent voice, and it sounds like a badly cut together tape. But Taako has no idea where the sound comes from, because the thing doesn’t have a mouth. 

 

“Uh yeah, no. Not gonna happen.” He might be living in a house with something that shouldn’t even exist but that wasn’t enough reasons for Taako to move out. Not even if the thing was telling him so. And yes, Taako was aware that he was acting like a stupid bitch from a horror movie, but this place had an open floor plan, a new kitchen and two sinks in the bathroom. There was no way Taako was gonna give this place up. “I’m gonna have to pass on that one buddy.”

 

It’s silent for a moment and the thing seems a bit stunned before arching up and forward and looking at Taako with it’s glowing orbs right in his eyes. “Why?”

“I dunno my dude, maybe cause it’s my house.” Taako still hasn’t blinked, and its starting to hurt his eyes. Having a staring contest with something that doesn’t have eyes might not be the smartest idea, but Taako is  _ determined.  _ His determination lasts about one second longer before he has to blink. 

 

When he opens his eyes again, the thing is back where it stood at the beginning. Its’ shape is more humanoid, and there’s a head shaped part of void where the orbs are. There is a short bitter laughter coming from it, and a rift opened in the middle if the head. It has the form of a wide grotesque grimace, that moves slowly as it’s not-voice rings out. “It’s not. Please. Get out you only have-” and then it gets cut of by static.   

 

“Nah, I’m good here.” Taako shrugs, but takes a step back when the orbs lock lock onto him and turn  _ red.  _

 

It looks angry, and Taako is  _ afraid.  _ It seems to grow, taking up more space than the room should allow and bending reality to be able to fit. The world folds in around its edges and is sucked into the black void and when it speaks, it is a mess of voices, overlapping and screaming out from nowhere, “ _ You are going to be  _ **_devoured_ ** _.”   _

 

And then, reality glitches.

\----

  
  


Taako is still standing in his living room, but not. It’s the same room but something is  _ wrong _ .

 

Everything is casting deep red and green shadows, and there’s a yellow tint to the whole room. The only thing that stands out is the TV, which is still in black and white static. On the floor there’s a long smear of something leading out of the kitchen and towards where Taako’s bedroom is. It looks like something has been dragged across the hardwood floor, and Taako doesn’t like how fractions of the smear looks like handprints. He also doesn’t like how, if it wasn’t for the sickly yellow color in the room, the stains would look like blood.

 

But that’s not the worst part. 

 

All around the house, looking in from every window are  _ eyes.  _  Horrible bloodshot eyes with wide pupils that are all focusing on Taako. Staring at him, filled with hunger. 

 

Taako takes one step back, and the eyes follow him. He takes another, and another and another- until he steps into something wet. On the floor beside him is parts of a wine glass and a beating heart with chards in it. The blood is pooling around his feet and Taako  _ screams _ .

 

It echoes around the house and Taako wants to cry, because this isn’t fun. He could handle void monsters that messes with his TV and slams doors, but not this!

 

So he runs.

 

But as Taako gets to the door and janks it open with all the desperation he’s feeling only to be met with more eyes. They are right in front of him and Taako could reach out and touch them, instead,  he turns around and slams the door. 

 

“No, no, no, no _ nonono! _ ” he might be crying or sweating, Taako honestly doesn’t know even as he runs his hands over his face to wipe it away. This cannot be happening. It must be a dream. So Taako slaps himself, but he only feels the sting in his cheek rather than waking up. And just as things can’t get worse, someone knocks at the door.

 

There’s nothing in Taako that can hold back the hysterical laughter that comes out of his mouth as he runs with stumbling steps along the dark stain on the floor and towards his bedroom. This time he opens the door slowly, glancing inside to see where the stains on the floor is leading.    __

There’s a person on the floor, Taako can’t see his face, the man is lying face down on the floor with dark hair spread around his head, and the white shirt the man is wearing is stained with blood from-

 

Taako wants to throw up, because where the man’s leg should be, is just just torn up  _ flesh _ .  He can see parts of bones sticking out from between parts of ruined muscle, stained from the blood. There isn’t much skin left, some of it is hanging of the ruined body parts but most of it is missing.

 

He doesn’t wanna look. But Taako can’t take his eyes away from the mangled body parts. Oh God almighty  _ fuck _ , there is a dead body in his room. 

 

But, there isn’t any eyes looking through the window, so Taako takes a step inside, and tries to not step in the blood that is on the floor and definitely belongs to the man. It feels weird to take a calming breath when there’s a dead body on the floor next to him, but Taako does it anyways. “Fuck. Fucking fuck!”

 

There is a groan from the floor. And Taako stops breathing and closes his eyes.  _ The man is alive.  _ And it’s so messed up. Still, he turns to the other in the room.

The man’s body is shaking and he’s taking shallow breaths, letting out small painful sounds. He looks pitiful and Taako doesn’t know what to do. He can’t help the dude, and he can’t get out from the house. But he must do  _ something _ . 

 

“Hello?” Taako vinces at the sound of his voice, but it feels like a very minor problem compared to the half torn up body at his feet.

 

The man mumbles something, before whimpering and heaving his torso up with one arm. He’s either ignoring Taako or he has no idea that there’s someone else in the room. Slowly the man crawls forward towards the open door, and he’s saying something but it’s still too low for Taako to hear.

 

He doesn’t get far, because he collapses right before the door and with a pained cry, he rolls over.

 

That’s when Taako notices that he doesn’t have a  _ heart _ . Where it should be is just a hole made of void under parts of his torn up shirt. It’s also when the man notices Taako. 

Shock is all over the guys face before it turns into horror and then hope, before he looks horrified again. He has a pretty face (even if it’s covered in sweat), with dark skin, high cheekbones and strangely brown eyes in the yellow light. His lips are tembeling as he opens his mouth, and much to Taako’s dismay his teeth is covered in the same stains as the ground and bones.

 

“You should. Get out.” His voice is raspy, but there’s something familiar with it. The words doesn’t fit together, like they were spoken in different sentences from the beginning but then had been stuck together like a collage of words.

 

It feels like Taako had been struck by lightning when he realizes what the man sounds like. _It's the void_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie, im kinda proud of this chapter!!!! You can chat with me on Tumblr @NewPaperNom <3


	5. Loss of vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE PLEASE LOOK AT THE NEW TAG!!!! There's nothing explicit (yet) but like if that isn't your cup of tea then feel free to Not Read, I will not judge you 
> 
> So this chapter will be a bit Extreme but hopefully the next one will be a bit lighter... as light as we can get here

To describe the situation that Taako was in as horrifying would be an understatement. There might not even be a word for it, that feeling of dread in your stomach, so heavy and awful that makes you want to remove the organ just to get rid of the chill that seeps into your bones and makes your whole body feel sick. It’s the feeling of having something stuck in your throat without being able to swallow it down, the desperate helplessness of knowing that you’re choking but not being able to do anything to get air. 

Or something like that. Taako doesn’t really have the time to think about his own feelings, not when there’s a man at his feet that is missing a lot of flesh from his body and most probably  _ dying. _ So really, there’s better things to do than find ways to describe the bad, horrible, no good things that are taking place. 

 

“Get out please.” The man is desperate, and there’s not much Taako can do other than to stare at him.

 

“What?” So maybe not the most articulated thing to say, but if Taako could get out he would, unfortunately there’s nothing outside the door except eyes. 

 

“You need to leave! Please- you’re going to die if you stay here!” The words are still missmatched and Taako doesn’t know if that’s just an effect of the place they’re in or if it’s something else. He also doesn’t know if his own voice is different, it could be. 

 

“Yeah you know what I think we both need to leave here.” Taako will be the last to admit that his voice cracks in five different places, “I can, uh, try to help you stand.”

 

But the man shakes his head, eyes closed and lips pressed tightly together. “No, no I-” he sucks in a breath, “I can’t get away.” 

 

“Uh.” There’s not much that Taako can think of that will be a good answer, the man is determined that he’s staying and the chances of Taako actually being able to help him get out are slim at best. Hell, Taako himself doesn’t know how to get out of the house with the eyes surrounding the whole place and looking in from every window except the one in the bedroom. “You sure? There’s gotta be some way for you to move, right?”

 

The man sighs, deep and heavy. “I would, but there’s no use. I’m going to die anyways, I’ve. Ah it doesn’t matter. You should just go,  _ please. _ I don’t want you to get eaten as well.” He’s staring at Taako, eyes wide and glazed over. Looking more desperate than a starving man with no food.

 

“Well I-” Taako freezes. Outside in the corridor he can hear footsteps. Slow and calculated.

 

“Oh no.” He sounds like he’s about to cry. “You need to hide or get away right now! Just go somewhere where he won’t be able to see you or you will die as well, now come on move please!”     

 

There’s not many places in the room that Taako can hide in, but the footsteps are getting closer and the wardrobe is just next to the door, so he throws himself behind the bed, and crawls under it. He can see the man, with his torn up legs and stained shirt looking back at him for a short moment and nodding before he starts moving away from the door, staining  the floor with even more blood.

 

Taako doesn’t breathe. But the man sounds like he’s taking his last breath, he probably is. And isn’t that horrifying, he’s about to witness the probable death of a man who is trapped in the house.

 

The footsteps stop, in the doorway there’s a person now. He’s wearing black polished shoes and somewhat grey suit pants. It’s hard to determine the color of anything with the yellow sheen covering everything in the house.   

 

The newcomer let out a breath, the sort that meant ‘there’s something that needs fixing and I’m the only one who will take responsibility’, but coming from a person who most probably was about to murder someone that “fixing” couldn’t be any good.

 

“It’s rude to not open the door when someone knocks.” The voice is smooth and probably belongs to an older man, he doesn’t sound threatening but that didn’t make Taako feel any less bone chillingly paralyzed by fear. It’s in direct contrast to the cut-together phrases that the man on the floor speaks, where it’s never the same voice saying more than a few words. 

 

There’s a short, hateful chuckle from the man on the floor, “I’m not the one who ripped my legs to pieces.  _ John _ .” The added name seemed like an afterthought, like the man on the floor wanted to gain a reaction from John. But from what Taako could notice, John didn’t seem to care. In fact, he didn’t seem to be in any hurry at all.

 

“Well, it’s too late for that to matter now isn’t it?” John took a step forward, Taako held his breath. “Don’t worry. This is what you deserve after all, you live in my house and you face the consequences.”

 

“ _ Please, no don’t!  _ I-I didn’t, I don’t want to die! Please.” The man is crying, sobbing, pleading, and Taako can feel his own tears burning hot in his eyes. This man is going to die and all of them knows it.    

 

But John only makes a disgraceful sound. “You have only yourself to blame. And I haven’t eaten in so long, I’m starving.” John walks forward, stopping only when he’s standing over the man who’s cowering against the wall. “You understand don’t you? There’s nothing you can do to save yourself. Kravitz.” 

 

Then he grabs the man by his throat and pulls him upwards, useless legs dangling above the ground. Taako can still hear him pleading for his life before it gets cut of by a  _ scream _ .

 

It’s unlike anything Taako has ever heard before, created only by pure raw fear. 

 

More blood falls to the floor. The man is moaning, agonizing sounds escaping his lips in hiccups. There’s a noise coming from John as well, but Tako doesn’t know what it is - doesn’t want to know what it is. Insead he moves his hands slowly so that they cover his ears, but he can’t stop looking. His eyes won’t let him even blink. 

 

“My-. You…” The man must be on the brink of breaking. “My eye-” Taako can hear the man choking on the hand holding him up.

 

“Did you know,” John says after a moment, “That eyes aren’t completely soft? In the middle they are actually quite hard to get trough. The skin around the eyes on the other hand, is much more soft and you can easily get to the meat underneath.” And then the man screams again. It’s followed by the same sound John made before. But this time Taako recognizes the sound, and he feels his face twist into a grimage and tears fall as he does.

 

John is  _ chewing _ .

John is eating the skin and eyes of the man’s face.  

 

Taako claws at his ears and crushes his eyelids together - does everything he can to shut out what’s happening in the room. The man is being eaten alive and there’s nothing Taako can do to stop it.

 

\----

 

When he opens his eyes again, Taako is back in the living room. Just as it was before, with the void standing in front of him. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA
> 
> JOHN THE HUNGER


	6. The Inbetween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE GOT FANART HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS!!!!! Im just fuck its so Good i love it so much!!!!  
> YOU CAN FIND IT [HERE](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> OR IF THAT DOESNT WORK ON THIS LINK HERE:  
> http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by
> 
> (also I'm so sorry it took me 2 weeks to update school has been crazy but im fucking done with Everything and im graduating in less than 14 days holy shit you guys!!!!)

 

_ When he opens his eyes again, Taako is back in the living room. Just as it was before, with the void standing in front of him.  _

 

The world is back to its original color, but it feels off. It’s too bright, too colorful to be the same place as -

 

Oh God. 

 

Taako’s going to be sick, he can feel his stomach turning, the burning in the back of his throat and if he doesn’t move now he’s gonna throw up all over the hardwood floor. Taako slaps his hands over his mouth and rushes to the bathroom. The void doesn’t move from its place.

 

He heaves up what little stomach acid he can in the bathroom sink, cold sweat running down his neck and hands shaking. Taako doesn’t know the last time he ate food was, he doesn’t think he’ll ever want to eat anything ever again. His breath is shaky at best and Taako wants to cry but it doesn’t feel like the correct action. Instead he turns the tap to the cold water and lets it run while he stares at himself in the mirror. 

 

A mess. That’s the only way he can describe himself right now.  

 

His bleached blonde hair is hanging limp around his face that’s pale and damp maybe from crying maybe from sweat, some strands are plastered to his temples. Taako stares in his own eyes that are red rimmed from tears, his stare is panicked and pupils small. There’s something raw in the way he looks, no emotion hidden or tears unspilled and it’s clear as day on his face, Taako’s always been an ugly crier. 

 

He has bitten his lips raw. Taako didn’t even know he had done that, can’t remember when he’d have time to chew up his lower lip until it’s nearly bleeding. Could it have been that morning, before everything?  _ Oh God  _ it’s not even been a day. It feels like Taako has witnessed a year, a whole lifetime and more, but it hasn't even been a day. 

 

How fucked up isn’t that?

 

A man got eaten (and Taako can’t feel a shudder go through his whole body) in the same room as Taako for less than one hour ago and there’s nothing to indicate that it actually happened. Or, well, he hopes that there’s nothing left of the man. Taako hadn’t paid so much attention to what the man and John, who had - 

 

The man. Taako thinks his name was Kravitz. He thinks that was what John had called him. 

 

He doesn’t know what’s worse; not knowing them name of the man that got _ eaten  _ in front of him or knowing his name. Is it better to have the detachment of not knowing the man’s identity or whatever satisfaction you can get from knowing the name of the man that was cannibalized. It’s a moral dilemma that’s never occured to Taako. It’s not something he’d like to think about, but he can’t just ignore it. 

 

To distract himself Taako splashes cold water in his face until the front of his bathrobe is soaked and the sleeves drip with water. Huh, a guy had time to be murdered and Taako didn’t even change from the clothes he wore that morning. 

 

Turning the water off, Taako fell at loss about what to do. What should he do after a situation like this? He couldn’t really call the police, ‘ _ Yeah hi officers a man got eaten in front of me by some other dude and also there were a bunch of eyes staring at me and the world turned yellow’.  _ Taako wasn’t sure he wasn’t crazy, but claiming that would surely land him with a one-way ticket to an asylum.

 

So he walked to the bedroom. It took a long time, he walked slowly and stopped just short of the door. Taako exhaled. 

 

“Okay,” He didn’t know who he was speaking to, either himself or maybe the void, it was hard to tell. “If there’s a body in there I’ll… I’ll deal with that then, no point taking out stress in advance.” It did little to comfort him. 

 

But when he looked inside, it looked the exact same as it had done this morning, which meant it looked the exact same as it had done when the man - Kravitz, had been there only without the blood and everything else that had been horrible. Well, there was one big difference, the void was sitting on the bed. It’s dark mass still in the same vague humanoid shape with floating orbs moving around on the parts of it that might have been the head.

 

From the living room Taako can hear the TV being turned on, and the now familiar cry of  _ My heart, my poor poor heart  _ from the fancy lady in black and white. He is so very done with that sound. 

 

“What?” He asks. Perhaps he should have been a bit more specific, asked for what the hell happened or what the void was doing there. But he was  _ tired _ and it had been a long day, so Taako thought he was entitled to one word questions thank you very much.

 

“I’m sorry.” It says, glowing orbs looking at Taako.

 

“Uh yeah. What the fuck was that?” He’s tired, and irritated and angry and confused and scared. So incredibly scared still.

 

“That was. It was something that had already happened. You don’t need to worry about it.” Taako could imagine that if the thing had had hands, it would be fidgeting with them right now.

 

“I saw a guy being killed, in this room! And you’re telling me to not worry about it? I’s a bit too late for that.” It’s weird, a few days ago Taako would have been terrified to have the thing in his room, and having a conversation with it would have been the biggest no-no. But now it feels,  _ easier _ , there’s things worse than a shapeless being that lives in your house. 

 

“No, no. That’s not what I-” The void did a sound like a sigh, but Taako didn’t think it had a mouth or needed air so was it really a sigh? “You don’t die if you. If someone eats you they take your soul, you can’t die because the thing that is you isn’t yours anymore.” 

 

There’s static around the edges of the void. 

 

“You know a whole lot about the process my dude.” Taako says, and then it  _ clicks.  _ “Holy Mary fuck. You were-” Taako doesn’t know how to finish the sentence.

 

“There’s no dignity in being devoured. It’s a foul act, no substance of anything to go anywhere when it’s done.” The sound of static fills the room. “I’m not alive. I’m not dead. I’m in the inbetween everything.”

 

Taako doesn’t know what to say. There’s not enough words in the world to create the optimal response.

 

“Why did I see that? The whole, eh, getting eaten part.” 

 

“Oh,” The void, or should Taako call it Kravitz? Is the void still an it? Anyways it sound’s embarrassed. “That’s my fault, I think. It wasn’t real any of it, at least not now. But you really really need to get out of here,  _ right now _ . Or John will come and you will get eaten as well.”

 

Taako wants to protest, wants to say ‘ _ But i just bought this house!’  _ But he takes one look at the void, sitting on the bed with static surrounding him and moving eyes. Thinks of the way the void used to be Kravitz and how he ended up, broken legs no heart and eaten alive. 

 

“Okay yeah I’ll be gone first thing tomorrow.” 

 

Looking back, it seemed like such an smart thing to do. Too bad Taako wasn’t known for doing things the smart way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you lovely readers should listen to Moonn by Radical Face, its one of my biggest inspiration songs for writing this (and yes its supposed to be two N's at the end)
> 
> I hope you all liked this!


	7. Rent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FUCKING GRADUATED LAST FRIDAY!!!!!! and as a present to myself I'm going away to South Korea for 2 weeks tomorrow!!!! so i don't know when i'll update this next, therefore you get a longer chapter this week!
> 
> And i'm almost at 1000 hits!!!! i never tohught my weird cannibalistic taz fic would go that far but here we are!!! im so happy and thankful for you who like this story it really makes my day <333

Taako had spent the rest of what was his last day in the house in a sort of daze. The void, Kravitz, had disappeared sometime after their conversation and the TV had switched back to showing some generic daytime show.

Taako hadn’t wanted or planned to move out after living in the house for just about three months. It seems stupid to just leave the house and then do what? Taako knows he can just move in with Lup until he finds a new place, but this was supposed to be his way of proving himself independent - that he could live and manage without anyone’s help. What a freaking successful plan.

There was so many things Taako needs to take care of if he was gonna be out of the house the next day. Stuff that needed to be packed and organized and people to call and a hundred of other things that went into moving out. And Taako knows, he knows so well that he should be doing all those things - but he just can’t.

Instead he’s sitting on the bed staring out the window at the street outside. In his hands is a margarita glass with golden details, Taako doesn’t remember when he grabbed it or why. It’s hanging upside down from between two of his fingers, Taako knows he might drop it but he doesn’t know if he’ll care if it happens. He’s been sitting in the same place for a long time, the sky had turned from light blue to a dark purple with dark gray clouds. The streetlights got turned on a while ago, illuminating the few people walking by.

It’s a nice neighborhood, more polished and expensive than what Taako had grown up with, with big houses with big lawns and a sense of economic security. It wasn’t a place Taako had imagined himself living in years ago, back then it had either been a fancy mansion in the west of Hollywood or some shitty apartment in the rundown part of a no-name town. The suburbans was never a part of the plan, but Taako likes living there. Well, the fact that his house is haunted isn’t nice, but beyond that things are good. 

It feels weird to leave so soon.

It’s not that Taako isn’t used to moving around, but this was supposed to be where he settled down for a while, get a stable life or something like that. A house with a somewhat existing offer of cannibalism is not a place to plant roots. Taako sighs. He might finally understand why people in horror movies doesn’t just move out at the first sign of the house being haunted.

The sound of a door slamming shut makes Taako jump and neary drops the glass in his hands. The clock in his room have started to tick out of order again, sounding more like a mechanical heartbeat.

Another door slams shut. Taako can hear footsteps out in the hallway. 

Was it so late already? Outside the window the streets are pitch black except for the cones of light created by the streetlights. Taako doesn’t know how long he’d been sitting there on the bed, just doing nothing. Losing so much time didn’t feel right.

The footsteps outside stopped right in front of Taako’s door, and he turned around to look at it just as the door was opened. Like the nights before it was the void. The darkness stands out against the unlit corridor behind it, there’s something other about the void, Kravitz, whatever, that makes it look like it doesn’t belong with the rest of its surroundings. Like a stain of neon in the middle of an water painting- except if all the colors were shades of black. 

It (He?) is standing in the doorway, humanoid shaped with too long arms and orbs for eyes floating around what supposed to be the head. 

“Oh.” It sounds surprised, and Taako raises an eyebrow at it. Did the void not think he would be in his room? And Taako thought he sometimes was stupid.

“Hi, eh. You’re still slamming them doors huh.” It’s not the smoothest opening to a conversation he’s said, but it’s out there now. 

“You’re awake! I wasn’t - you’re usually asleep when I’m in here and... That sounded weird. I’m not usually in your bedroom at night, well I kinda am but only for a short while,” it paused for a moment and then moved forward just a bit, “This isn’t getting any better I’m sorry I’m not usually like this.”

It’s voice is still made out of weird phrases in different voices that shouldn’t fit together, but there’s something different about it. It sound more spoken, like instead of the phrases forming the sentence like before, now it’s like phrases are being molded into the sentence. It’s weird and makes the void seem oddly human. Taako doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

“Uh sure. So do you usually walk into people’s rooms without their consent or am I just special?” Taako probably would have been more freaked out about it if he hadn’t been woken up by the void before. Funny how things work out like that, you know someone is creeping about but it’s okay because you found out about it before they tell you about it. 

“Ah no? I can’t get out of this house. This is the only bedroom I can be in.” It moved closer to the wardrobe, and the scratching sound that Taako heard the night before is back. It comes from inside his closet like he had suspected it did last night.

“Cool, are you gonna be here every night?” Taako asks.

The void lets out a sigh, and the scratching gets louder, more intense. “Yes, unfortunately. It’s part of the whole door-slamming thing. It’s been going on ever since you know,” The void does a sort of shrug motion, and black nothingness seeps out from under its form. It takes on the same form that the blood had been on the floor when Taako had been to that other place. 

The noise from inside the wardrobe got louder before the whole thing rattled, jolsting all the clothes inside. Taako stares at the void. It’s glowing eyes look back, but the scratching in quiet. 

“Uhhhh… What was that?” Taako’s wardrobe has never moved on it’s own, even if the chasens of it happening are significantly higher because he lives in a fucking haunted house but still. It’s weird and Taako doesn’t like it but it’ll be over tomorrow. 

“That was.” The void pauses, for expanding suddenly and becoming shapeless and then suddenly collapsing back. “My bones are in there.”

“Your bones-” Taako began slowly, “Are in my closet?” Taako knows he opens the doors to the closet at least two times every workday and he’s pretty sure he hasn’t seen any bones laying around gathering dust. “Not to be, like, rude or anything but are you sure?”

“Yes. Well, it’s more like they only exist there for a short amount of time. My bones where the only thing that John didn’t, anyways. They might not be there in a physical form but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t real. They are the only really alive parto of me that’s left.” And suddenly the void looks so sad, hunched into himself by the closed doors with his glowing eyes a bit dimmer than they used to be and the scratching of his own bones in the background. It seems like being eaten alive really has no dignity, even after both life and death. 

“Can’t you just I dunno take them out? Remove them from inside and do whatever with them?” Taako have no idea what to even do with the bones when he’s eating chicken wings let alone human ones. 

“No, I’ve tried before but they exist in the same place where you saw me before this, and I can’t go there.” The voices making up it’s speech turn more annoyed, “I’ve tried so, so, so many times but I just can’t get to that place.”

“Oh, that must suck.” Taako says and he really means it. 

“It does, it really fucking does.” The orbs look at his for a short moment before looking away again, out the window. “It’s late, you should get some sleep. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Good night and don’t forget to get out tomorrow.” And just like that, it’s gone. The scratching and weird ticking goes away and Taako is left with his normal bedroom. It’s time to go to sleep.

\----

Taako wakes up the next morning by the sound of the doorbell ringing. It’s early, the sun is barely up and painting the room in a fine red color as Taako opens his eyes. Last night felt like ages ago, but it also felt like he fell asleep mere minutes ago. Maybe he had. 

The doorbell rings a second time and Taako rolls out of the bed and grabs the silk robe hanging beside him. He doesn’t have time to fix his hair which is standing in all possible directions as he sleepily walks out from the room.

The void isn’t anywhere to be found and the TV is turned off, something that Taako really is grateful for, it would be a bit hard to explain the sentient patch of negative space standing in the middle of his living room.

The doorbell rings a third time. 

“I’m on my fucking way just wait a single minute my man.” Taako knows the person on the other side of the door can’t hear him, so he’s allowed to be a bit mean. It’s also super early and Taako was planning on sleeping in a bit before running off to the hills. 

When he opens the door it feels like someone had poured ice all over his body. On the other side of the doorway is a man dressed in a grey suit and with polished shoes. There’s a smile on his face, wide and showing off his teeth that are stained pink. His eyes are cold. 

“Good morning.” His voice is sleek but Taako knows he’s heard it before, in a place where everything was tainted yellow and a man got eaten live in the same room as him. “My name is John, I am your landlord. I think it’s time we had a little chat about your rent this month.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can find me on tumblr @NewsPaperNom   
> and don't forget that we have [fanart!!!](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)


	8. Deals and seals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to upload the new chapter!! I've been in Korea, had the most intense workweek this year, my friend and my now fiancé came over and visited and after that I had to Other Stuff 
> 
> And in a few days im going to South Africa so there's a high risk i won't be able to upload the next chapter in a While

 

_ “My name is John, I am your landlord. I think it’s time we had a little chat about your rent this month.”  _

 

Taako’s pretty sure that he had bought the house he lives in, there should be no rent to pay. 

 

“Excuse me,” John says, smiling and showing of his some of teeth. It’s horrifying, not quite human. “Could we maybe discuss this inside? I think it’s going to rain and I’d prefer to not get soaked.” 

 

Taako looks at the sky behind John, there’s not a single cloud in sight to cover the bright sun. He doesn’t want to let John inside, there’s few things that he would like less actually, but he also don’t want to tell John that. The man doesn’t seem like the type to handle rejection well from what Taako have seen. 

 

He steps aside and lets John walk inside, and gets a broader smile as a thanks. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Taako regrets not writing a testament sooner. He closes the front door and follows after John, but something cold grabs onto his wrist. 

 

The black materia that belongs to the void, Kravitz, is wrapped just above his hand. It doesn’t really have any weight, but Taako can’t move his arm out of the grip. In front of him, John makes a turn and heads for the kitchen and living room, leaving Taako alone with the other  _ guest _ in his house. 

 

From Taako’s own shadow on the floor the orbs belonging to Kravitz stare at him. 

 

“ _ What?”  _ Taako hisses at his own shadow and the shape turns darker and darker until it’s the same pitch black material that was the void. Slowly the form of Kravitz rises up from the floor and stands behind him.

 

“You should have gotten out of this house when I told you. John won’t let you leave now that he has seen you.” It sighs and a wind of cold air hits the back of Taako’s neck. “Well, there’s not much you can do about it right now I suppose. Just. Try getting him out of here as soon as possible, and don’t make any deals with him,  _ please _ .” 

 

Taako chews on his bottom lip. “Sure but like-” the void is gone leaving Taako’s own shadow alone. Great. Amazing.

 

It’s even more amazing when John’s voice calls out for him from the kitchen and Taako have no choice but to go over there and have a nice chat with a cannibal. 

 

John is sitting in the sofa when Taako enters, looking at the TV that’s playing up scenes of people crying and throwing stuff with small breaks made by static. In his hand is a glass of what looks like red wine, but Taako isn’t sure there’s just grape juice and 12% alcohol in there.

 

“I really love what you’ve done with the place I must say. It looks very cosy, much better decor from when I was here last.” John says, spirit high and still facing away from Taako. “Would you like a glass Taako?”

 

He doesn’t remember telling John his name. 

 

“No thanks, I don’t drink.” It was perhaps the worst lie he’s ever told considering the fact that there’s a shelf with fancy wine bottles in the kitchen part of the room.

 

John chuckles and turns his head, looking at Taako from the corner of one of his eyes. “Oh this doesn’t contain any alcohol.”

 

“Nah, like, I don’t drink anything at all. Liquid-free diet and all that.” Taako hopes that his smile looks true enough. Fuck getting eaten by a cannibal, he’s going to die from cringing at his own bad lies. 

 

John shakes his head in response and gestures for Taako to sit down. But he doesn’t move an inch from where he’s standing. “Well, that’s not really what we’re here to talk about is it? You have yet to pay rent. Taako.”

 

“Uh yeah because I own this place? There’s no rent to be paid m’dude.” There’s only a mortgage that’s gonna be paid off when he’s 54. “So if you could leave now that would be really swell.”   
  


John takes a slip of his drink. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble, as they say, but there is a rent to be paid. You see, you only own  _ this _ house- the ground and foundation it’s standing on belongs to me. Isn’t that unfortunate for you?” He drains the whole glass in his hand and places it on the table.  

 

In his chest, Taako’s heart is pounding so hard he’s sure even John can hear it. He doesn’t answer.

 

“So I think, based on how long you’ve avoided this payment, you have 7 days and then I’ll return.” He smiles at Taako, it’s all teeth and no warmth. “That is unless you want to make a  _ deal _ .”

 

“Nope, I’m good.”

 

“Come on, you can’t tell me you’re not interested at least.” John smiles wider and one of his eyes rolls around in it’s socket. It stops at the bottom and just looks down at the floor and John’s check twitches under it. “If you bring me someone who can pay the rent in your place I promise I won’t bother you for a few years at least. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

 

Taako’s shoulders feel heavy. Either he can get eaten in 7 days or someone else will take his place and he gets to live. It’s horrible, it’s worse than being stuck between a rock and a hard place - it’s being stuck between being a murder and being murdered. It’s the worst offer ever,  _ and Taako is tempted to take it _ . He could see it so clearly,him inviting someone back home to see the new house and leaving them to meet John as Taako leaves the property for a day, ignoring but not ignorant of what’s going down in the house. Someone would die but Taako would  _ live _ . 

 

The TV’s static gets louder and switches channel. On the screen a man is staring directly at him and mouthing ‘ _ don’t’  _ over and over again. Kravitz had told him not to make any deals. Taako squeezes his eyes shut. 

 

“I don’t want any deals. Now get out of my fucking house, rent isn’t up yet.” He says, and seals his fate. 

 

John only clicks his tongue. “I guess there’s no changing your mind. I’ll see you soon then Taako.” Taako can hear him get up from the sofa and walk towards the exit, but John stops beside him. “Oh, do say hello to Kravitz from me as well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him.” 

 

When the front door closes Taako opens his eyes and stares at the TV. He is suddenly so incredibly tired. Besides him is the void, standing quietly and exhaling. “I’m… I’m so sorry Taako. You really don’t deserve this.”

 

Taako chuckles weakly as the TV turns back to static, “You know what dude? I really don’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REMINDER THAT WE GOT FANART!!!! [I LOVE IT SO MUCH](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> I also have tumblr where i post stuff and do Art Sometimes @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)


	9. Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry I've been away for so long. there's been Some Stuff going on in my life and tonight was the first evening in a while when i've been able to sit down and relax and write 
> 
> I also just posted the first chapter of a new fanfic called Dream Me The World that im really excited to get going on so 'ill be writing that when im not working on this <3

Taako spends the afternoon in a daze. 

 

He  _ knows  _ he spent some time sitting on the sofa, right by the place where John had been, staring at the TV as it continues to show static. He thought he might have been able to see Kravitz glowing eyes from inside the screen, but it might have been nothing. The TV was still on in the living room.

 

He  _ knows  _ he fixed dinner, something that he put in the microwave to heat up and then had to reheat again because he forgot to take it out. He had vaguely noted that the dish needed more salt, but that was the only thing he could remember about the taste. The plate was still on the table unwashed.

 

He  _ knows  _ that he had entered his bedroom sometime after that, maybe it had happened 10 minutes ago, maybe an hour. Taako’s not sure.

 

He’s not thinking about anything, not really. It’s easier to just go through the motions of a daily life with a blank mind right now. Maybe later he can handle the events of the earlier day, but right then and there all Taako wants to do is sleep. For a long time. He sighs and lays down on the bed, and with no distracting thoughts falls asleep.

  
  
  
  


 

 

The sound of a door slamming shut wakes him up. In Taako’s chest his heart is racing, thumping loud enough for it to fill the room. It could be John, returning, demanding more payment for something Taako’s done without even knowing. It could be John coming to kill him earlier than promised. 

 

Another door slams. Moonlight and streetlight blends together in trough Taako’s window, casting long shadows around the room. On the wall, the clock is ticking away in an uneven pace, skipping over or adding ticks to the seconds passing by. It seems to match Taako’s heartbeat.

 

He feels to exposed on the bed, and while it’s irrational Taako can’t help but desperately wish that he’s pulled the cover over his body before he fell asleep. He wants so badly to pull the covers over himself, hide his whole body under them and pretend to be asleep. But every little twitch makes the covers rustle, a sound too loud for the room. If he caused too much commotion it might give away where he was. 

 

Taako sat frozen on the bed, biting down on his tongue to keep his teeth from rattling. Footsteps where echoing down the hallway outside, hurried steps that stops in front of the bedroom door.

 

The door opens slowly, and there’s only darkness in the hallway. No John. 

 

Instead the outline of the void is barely visible against the corridor, a darker black against black. It’s creepy, it’s impossibly relieving. The glowing orbs blink into existence, looking at Taako for a second before kravitz move into the room and towards the wardrobe just as the scratching starts. 

 

“Hey,” Taako coughs a bit, “What’s up?”

 

The void is quiet for a moment before speaking. “I, ah, I’m just visiting my bones. The usual.” 

 

“Yeah, do they have to be in my wardrobe? Like can’t you take them out?” Taako had never actually seen the bones, according to Kraviz they reappeared sometimes during the night and then went away. 

 

“I’m made out of anti space Taako, I can’t touch stuff. I have no physical materia to move them.” To prove his point, a long spider like hand extends from the mass and wrapps around the handle, and tugging. Nothing happened. “See?”

 

“You seem pretty good at slamming doors otherwise dude.” Taako raises an eyebrow. 

 

The void shrugs, one finger sliding along the wardrobe door slowly. “Yeah, I don’t really know why? I can open the front door, the bathroom door and this obviously, but I’ve never really thought about  _ why  _ y’know. It hasn’t been, important.”

 

“Well. How do you know your bones are there? Weren’t you pretty, uh,” Taako drags out the word, flinching at the memory of Kravitz being eaten in front of him.  “Dead by then?”

 

The void seems uncomfortable with the subject as well. “I keep feeling misplaced, like- like parts of me are  _ missing _ . And the only part of me that was left behind was my bones. They’re keeping me here.” He sighs. “It’s so stupid all of this. You’re going to die and then a few years is going to pass and then a new person’s gonna move in and I’ll just keep being here until John fucking dies or my bones rot away.”

 

“That’s-” He’s not sure what to say. It’s not like Kravitz is lying about what will happen.  “I’m sorry.” 

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“Nah it’s like super uncool.” The scratching stopps. “Hey so this might be super rude and stuff but when did you die? ‘Cuz they never said anything about a person dying in this house when I bought it, like what’s up with that?”

 

Kravitz moves from besides the wardrobe to stand by the bed, his glowing eyes floating around on his face like leaves on water. “Uhhhh, I don’t know what exact year it was? God that’s a bit weird isn’t it, it feels like I should know it just because it’s the sort of thing that’s important to remember- anyways they were playing Royals on the radio a whole lot. I think it was Lorde who made it but uh, yeah does that help?”

 

Taako looks at him. Royals by Lorde, that was, “5 years ago. You died in 2013.” 

 

The void  is shooked, or at least Taako thinks that’s it, it’s hard to tell with a being with no face. “Oh wow, that’s. That’s a lot. I gotta go, you should probably go to sleep or something. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” The next moment he’s gone, leaving Taako alone in his bedroom with only a ticking clock and long shadows.

 

It’s not the end of the conversation that Taako’s expected, but he’s not blaming Kravitz for running away. 5 years, that’s a long time for anyone, especially trapped in the same house. Kravitz is never going to leave the house, and Taako is going to die in it. 

 

But he does not want to end up like Kravitz. There’s has to be a way for Taako to escape this house.  _ He can’t die _ .   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVELY FANART! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)


	10. Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh, this chapter is very heavily inspired by my fear of death, both my own and others. I used to have reoccuring nightmares about my friend dying and about a year ago my mom collapsed during a workout and had to be take to the hospital. I've never liked people joking about death either but YEAH now you know too much about me!!!!
> 
> Anyways, I'm very proud of this chapter and it's a bit longer than my usuals so i hope you like it as well!!!

When Taako wakes up, it’s barely dawn and his bedroom is in shades of cool gray. Last night's events and thoughts come rushing back and all Taako can think is  _ he can’t die.  _

 

It’s a very awakening thought, in the sense that it gets Taako sitting up straight in his bed. He can’t die, he needs to get out of the house. He scrambles out of the bed, running straight out of the room and down the hall. The front door is so close, just a thin slice of old wood keeping Taako from freedom. He fumbles with the lock, fingers shaking and blood pumping in his ears as it unlocks. Finally.   

 

He lurches the door open, and the small of wet grass and morning cold hits him. Just one step and Taako’s free. Free from the godawful house. He runs out and- 

 

Reality flashes around him. For a moment Taako is surrounded by darkness and eyes focusing in on him, before it flashes again and he’s… 

 

In the bathroom?

 

To the left of him Taako can see his reflection in the mirror and to the right is the horrible yellow tile walls gleaming in the lights from above. It’s not the outside. It’s not freedom. He’s in the only room in the entire house that has no windows or any way to look out. 

 

“What the fuck.” Taako opens the old wooden door out to the corridor, and yeah he’s still in his house. The cold wind from outside blows slowly in from the front door that’s still open and Taako shivers. It’s not what he had expected. Right now he was gonna be out of the house! Running to the car and getting inside it and making the 3 hour ride to Lup’s house and never ever return. 

 

Taako grabs his hair and  _ pulls _ . This is not good. He just needs to try again, maybe he can run past the- whatever it was that put him back in the house. He can’t die. So he walks out to the kitchen where he can see the door in front of him, open to the world like there’s nothing holding him back, and Taako runs. He sprints past the corridor, the shoes and coats and out the door frame. 

 

He makes it three steps.

 

The darkness and eyes enfolds him, and Taako shuts his eyes. He doesn’t open them even when he’s left to sink to the cold floor in the bathroom. 

 

_ ‘I can do this.’ _ Taako thinks and feels tears burn under his eyelids. One runs down his cheek.  _ ‘This is fine. I just, if I try again- if I break a window maybe it won’t catch me.’ _ He just needs to be calm, to think about this rationally, there has to be a way to escape. A second tear. 

 

‘ _ I just need to- _ ’ His mouth turns into an ugly grimage and his lower lips starts to shake. ‘ _ There has to be a way!’  _ But as more tears slid down his cheek, the situation feels hopeless. There’s nothing Taako can do that will get him out of the house, he will end up like Kravitz, , eaten alive, having his eyes pulled out and chewed on, slowly dying by torture and stuck in the house forever.

 

Taako wails, fat tears streaming down as he covers his eyes with his hands and he breaks down on the bathroom floor. His sobs are ugly and grotesque, and there’s nothing refined about him at all, but there’s no risk of anyone seeing him because Taako is going to die alone in a house with only a cannibal as company and executioner.

 

“I. I don’t wanna d-die!” He sobs out with a thick voice, stumbling over the last word. “I just wanted a new house that was- that was cheap! _ Why _ do I have to die for that?” The sounds he makes are so pathetic but Taako can’t stop himself. Half formed sentences bubble out of his mouth like foam from a waterfall, he’s not sure what he’s talking about. All Taako knows is that he’s begging for his life on the cold bathroom floor.

  
  
  
  
  


He sits there for a long time, words dying and tears slowly stopping until it’s quiet in the house. From the open doors Taako can hear the sound of birds and cars driving by in the distance. It feels distant, it feels like the world should have stopped that morning when it became inaccessible to Taako but the world is still turning. The floor in the hallway is illuminated by sunlight, a burning point in Taako’s vision. Why couldn’t it have been raining outside? Then he would have a reason not to go out.

 

The skin around his eyes are damp and raw, his lips are swollen and Taako’s head feels heavy, but he doesn’t want to sleep- sleeping would waste time. So instead Taako gets up from the floor slowly, joins protesting and head bulting in time with his heart.

 

He walks past the open frontdoor, sun burning into his eyes and into the kitchen. He needs to eat something, just to distract himself from whatever state he’s in now. Cooking has always been a comfort for Taako, he likes the simplicity of following a recipe, he like the freedom of just going with whatever feels right and coming up with new dishes on the spot. It’s freedom and control in one act. 

 

So Taako makes breakfast. He makes pancakes from scratch, adds red velvet cake mix to half of them so they turn red, he pulls out whipped cream and raspberry marmalade to go with the pancakes and pours himself a glass of orange juice. He heats up the oven and places a frozen mini baguette in the middle to be done after the pancakes. He fixes coffee as well. 

 

The situation is not good in any way but Taako feels calmer, more focused on things he can  _ handle _ .

 

“Oh! Good morning,” The void’s voice comes from behind Taako and he whirls around to look at the black human-ish form. “It’s, are you okay?” The glowing orbs focus in on Taako and he becomes keenly aware that he had done nothing to clean up his face. 

 

“Yeah yeah ‘m good. Just uh noticed that I can’t leave the fucking house but it’s fine dude.” Taako waves a hand in the air and places down the plate with pancakes on the living room table. If his hands shake a bit it’s nobody’s business.

 

The void let’s out a breath, or that’s the sound at least, Taako’s not sure something made out of non-reality cab inhale air. “I’m sorry, I should have told you that. The same thing happened to me as well. It’s not fair to you for me to just up and go for your,” he pauses. “For your last days.”

 

“Nah it’s all cool, just wasn’t expecting it at all. It sorta caught me by surprise.” Taako sat down in the sofa, careful to avoid the spot where John had been the day before. The TV had turned on without his knowledge and was displaying a repeating clip of a helicopter view of a church in dusk. It might be symbolic, or Kravitz just had a weird taste in movies or something.

 

“I remember spending an entire day trying to get out of the house, I tried everything. I broke the windows when the door didn’t work, I gave up after midnight… It’s… It’s one of the worst things, knowing that you can’t leave and yet there’s nothing visible holding you back. I  _ hated _ it.” The void says, orbs looking out the door. Taako thought about being stuck in the house for 5 years, knowing that the world changed outside but being stuck with nothing inside.

 

“Yeah, no, I-” Taako cut himself off with a swallow. He had nothing to lose by being honest. “I don’t want to die. It’s, yknow, kinda stupid being in this situation and all.” He laughs awkwardly but the void only tilts its head and sat down besides Taako.

 

“Are you afraid?” It’s a soft question, Taako knows he doesn’t have to answer it, but he kinda wants to, he kinda wants to be comforted right now.

 

“Yeah.” Tears are burning behind his eyes again.         

 

“Well, you don’t have to change what you’re afraid of. Paint over the fear, at least for now. Try to live a little, I guess it’s not the best advice but, uh...” he trails off, slumping his shoulders.

 

“Yeah.” Taako says again, reaches out his hand and the void grabs it. The grip doesn’t feel like much, it’s mostly cold and heavy as a leaf on Taako’s palm, but he let’s it stay.

 

They spends the rest of the morning in silence, kinda comforting each other.         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun thing!!! I made a spotify playlist for this during a planeride!!! it's mostly a collection of songs i listen to when writing this but I thought I'd share it with you all:  The Inbetween Playlist   
> Fanart!!! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by) <333  
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)
> 
> Edit: y’all know you can comment right? Like it’s not that encouraging for me as a writer to post a chapter and not get any feedback for 3 days But Whatever :)


	11. Inhabitants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're back to the gore!!!!
> 
> I'm sorry it has taken me this long to update, ive been so busy the last month! My mom had her birthday celebrated in paris so we flew there for a mini-vacation, me and my partner celebrated our 6 month anniversary and today is actually my 19th birthday!! plus a bunch of work happened as well  
> but here's the new chapter at least!!!

It’s been so long since he’s been human. Kravitz had almost forgotten what it was like. He hadn’t lied to Taako when he told him he didn’t know when he died. He had known the year, hell he had know the date, but he hadn’t know how long time had passed. In his mind Kraviz had hoped it had either been a year at the most or longer than a lifetime, not  _ five years.  _

 

Five years felt like a too long time and also too short. He’d been stuck as whatever the fuck he was for that long, slowly losing the sense of what it meant to be human while walking around the same corridors and watching time pass with a detached connection that got worse for each sunset. It had been five years since he last saw his moms. But it also meant that the seemingly eternal time he’s spent in a state of half-consciousness, watching people walk through the house, all waiting for death whether they knew it or not, had been excruciatingly slow.

 

Five years ago his moms had arrived home to a cold house with withered plants and a son that had seemingly disappeared. John had been  _ nice  _ enough to clean up after himself, there had been no trace of Kravitz death. He wondered what his moms were doing right now, if they were still looking after him. He wished they were, he hoped they weren’t. How pointless their search was, when he still was stuck in the house with no means of ever getting out or dying. 

 

For a long time he’d moved around the house, never able to go outside of it’s walls where the eyes always stared in through the window. There was only two places in the house that they couldn’t stare at him, the bathroom and the basement. 

 

Of course the basement had been sealed off before Kravitz moms had moved into the house and he’d only discovered it after everything. The basement wasn’t a nice place though, it reeked and there was  _ something  _ down there, not living, but in the between state that Kraviz and the others in the house was stuck in. All of them avoided the basement, even John. 

 

He didn’t know why Taako could see him and not the others who had been eaten before him, but there was a lot of things Taako couldn’t see. Like the eyes watching his every move, the way the house changed shape to resemble earlier versions of it before it had gotten renovated. Kravitz suspected it had been like that when he was alive as well, there was a lot of things you start to notice as soon as you get stuck. 

 

It wasn’t often he saw the others in the house besides him and Taako, most of them faded away, curling up in corners and blending in with the night until there was barely an outline of them to be glimpsed in the corner of his eye. Kravitz had felt the same happen to him before, moments where it felt so hard to maintain a shape that he just felt like disintegrating and simply sink into the shadows. It had been hard trying to regain a shape when Taako had moved in, especially a human form. Kravitz had tried his best but he was sure that something must be a little off because it didn’t feel quite like it used to. He prefered the barely put together shape of nothing he had been before, but he missed being human. And Taako reminded him of that. 

 

There was so much that went away after John. It was hard feeling human when the human body he had had been torn away from him piece by piece, bite by bite. Sometimes he could still feel the tearing of flesh, the way that his leg had been crushed and ripped off him. The worst part was the phantom feeling of John ripping his eyes out the snapping behind his sockets as a blinding pain spreads through his entire skull and knowing that it will happen again, that he has another eye. 

 

Kravitz had been awake through the whole process, as every last bit of his body had been devoured, he’s felt everything. After a while there had just been pain. There’d been no change, his whole body had shut down and only left one excruciating feeling. It had only been interrupted when John had ripped out his tongue. That had been long after he’d lost his second eye, it had been a moment of just while hot burning going through what little was left of his body.

 

Reasonably, Kravitz should have died when John entered the house and took out his heart. It was pretty damaging to lose one of the major organs in one go, but like most things in the house, it didn’t work like the rest of the world.

 

He hoped the same thing wouldn’t happen to Taako as well. Taako wouldn’t fit being stuck between alive and dead. He had too much liveliness to get eaten now, even if the visit of John had put a damper on his mood. Kravitz could understand that, it had been the same for him. At least Taako was a bit smart, from his point in the shadows behind the TV Kravitz could hear Taako talking to someone on the phone, something about the the person visiting the weekend after this one due to ‘complications’. 

 

It was cute that Taako had planned a move-in party for his friends, it was less cute that he would be eaten before it even took place. 

 

“- Yeah, okay, yeah I’ll see you soon Lup. Love ya too, yes cool, goodbye nerd.” Taako hungv up the phone with a sigh, leaning his head back against the sofa. His phone was still in his hands, being turned over between slender fingers. It was such a human gesture, and despite coming from such a sad moment Kravitz liked seeing it, the small things that Taako did that made him remember what it was like to be human. He had formed fingers off his own, only they couldn’t fidget with anything and they were either too short or too long for what was normal. 

 

Just as Kravitz was about to make his presence known and ask about the phone call, a scream interrupted him. It was high pitched, more so than any adults scream. Taako didn’t react to it, he hadn’t reacted to it the other times the screams had been ecoe through the house so this wouldn’t be any exception, but Kravitz was very aware of it. 

 

It came from within the walls, made from one of the others who were stuck, but this boy was different. He hadn’t faded and he wasn’t the dark mass that Kravitz was, instead the boy looked the same as he had when he was alive, or at least he looked human. It was only the big black hole where his heart was and the cracks in his skin that made him different. Kravitz had only seen the boy a handful of times but it was never pleasant.

 

The boy was young, no older than 10 with shabby clothes and was the one in the house who hated the basement the most. Whenever he emerged from his place, wherever that was, he always was accompanied by the feeling misery and desperation. Kravitz tried to stay away from him during the times when the boy screamed, but the eyes surrounding the house had stopped looking at Taako and was focusing in the direction of the boy. 

 

The screaming got louder. Kravitz sighed. The TV turned on and started showing some daytime show, the volume slowly turned up until it was covering the noise. 

 

Kravitz had been stuck for five years. It was five days until Taako was going to get stuck with him. Time was moving too slow and too fast at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVELY FANART! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Buy Me Ko-Fi?](http://ko-fi.com/zoodan) it would be super appreciated <3


	12. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl im not that happy with this chapter but Oh Well
> 
> So have some fun cannibal facts that inspired this story as a bit of an apology!  
> There’s about 800 cannibals in Germany according to Armin Meiwes who was the reason i decided to write about cannibalism, he’s a very interesting fellow and I recommend reading the wikipeda article about him. Jeffrey Dahmer is a inspiration as well, he’s very much one of the most famous cannibals and there was a movie about him released this year that you should def watch! 
> 
> also!!!! my lovely fiancé Qanterqueen made a work inspired by this that you should go and read as soon as you're done with this chapter!!! its soooo fucking good <333

“- Yeah, okay, yeah I’ll see you soon Lup. Love ya too, yes cool, goodbye nerd.”

 

Taako hung up the phone with a sigh. He had been talking to Lup,  explaining,  _ lying _ , about why she couldn’t come over on the weekend. Before everything that happened Taako had planned a moving in party to brag about the new house and maybe to see the rest of his friends. 

 

Lying about his own scheduled death wasn’t normal, and maybe Taako should have been more worried about it than he was, but he had felt detached when speaking to Lup, spinning a lie about how the water system wasn’t working, he hadn’t been able to shower in three days and it would only be fixed the following week. He didn’t like deceiving Lup, but what more could he do? 

 

‘ _ Yeah hi uh sorry you can’t come visit me on Saturday, I’m scheduled to be vored up by my landlord that I apparently have and I don’t want you to see that. What about brunch on Sunday instead?’  _ That would surely go well. Taako knew that as soon he mentioned it to Lup she would try to help him, and probably volunteer to take his place or something stupid like that. Which, no. That might have been why it was easier to lie to her, knowing that it was for a good cause.  

 

Taako fiddled with the phone in his hands, he would have to text the rest. Barry would find out via Lup, but Magnus, Lucretia, Davenport and Merle needed to know as well. He didn’t want anyone there. Hopefully one of the neighbors would find his body before his family did it, sparing them the sight of his half eaten corpse rotting on the livingroom floor.

 

Just as he opened the phone, the TV turned on. Taako barely spared it a glance, after having it turning on and off by Kravitz had become significantly less scary compared to John. In fact, most things were becoming less scary; like the void shape of Kravitz lurking in the shadows behind the TV, slowly dialing the volume up.  

 

Rolling his eyes, Taako opened the texting app and typed out a quick message  _ No party this weekend bc Reasons (ask Lup for details), yall are welcome the next week ✌✌✌✌ _ , copying it, and sending it to everyone separately.

 

The volume continued to rise as he got the first response from Magnus, three thumbs up followed by  _ yeah that works 4 me. merle has lost his phone so good luck trying to contact him lol _

 

Great. And the volume was so loud he couldn’t even think. 

 

“Hey can you maybe turn it the fuck down a bit or what?” He shouted at the space behind the TV, watching as the form of Kravitz slipped back into the shadows. The volume was lowered, a bit. Still loud enough so that it made Taako’s head hurt. “Yeah no gonna have to do better than that.”

 

The TV switched over to static, filling the room with eerie white noise. 

 

“You’re a bit of an ass.” Taako raised an eyebrow as the void slipped out from under the sofa to stand in front of him. The glowing orbs shifted over the face, glancing from left to right. Kravitz form wasn’t completely solid, the edges of him were moving and parts of darkness seemed to float away from him and just hang around in the air. 

 

“There’s a lot of screaming right now. I. I don’t like to hear it.” Kravitz said, long spidery fingers intertwining. Taako hummed, and tried to listen to any other sound than the static from the TV. Nothing.

 

“Sorry to burst your bubble dude but there’s no screaming.”

 

“No, or well yes there is but you can’t hear it because, you’re,” He gestured vaguely at Taako, “Alive still. You miss a lot of stuff when you’re alive.” 

 

Double great. “I can’t wait to die so I’ll be stuck in a house listening to people screaming. It’s gonna be a real blast.” Taako didn’t feel the need to point out that he was being sarcastic. “Uh, hey a morbid question but after you died-”  _ got eaten alive.  _ “How did people react to finding your body? Like, I just wanna be prepared for the worst.”

 

The void froze. It was like Taako had paused the whole being. 

 

“ _ They never found my body _ .” It whispered out. 

 

“What?” Taako stared at the shape. It was still, like a statue made out of ebony at a horror exhibition.

 

“There was nothing left for them to find. No trace of me at all. I was reported missing 49 hours after John arrived. The police wrote it off as yet another runaway case.” Kravitz voice was carefully even. 

 

“Oh.” Taako swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “Is someone looking for you?” He hoped there were, Taako didn’t want to imagine a world where he disappeared but nobody noticed.

 

“My parents. Maybe. It’s been five years, I sorta hope they aren’t.” Slowly the form began to move again, shoulders slumping down a bit and hands falling limp to its side.

 

Taako bit his lip. He didn’t want that to happen to him, he didn’t want Lup to arrive to an empty house with no trace of him at all, and the only logical explanation being that he had run off, abandoning her. 

 

“I could see if they’re still looking for you? I mean, google is a thing, so like I can google your name and yeah…” Taako trailed off. An awkward silence between them followed. It might not have been the best thing to say but just saying ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t seem better. 

 

“Yes, please.” Kravitz said finally, eyes floating up and down like he was nodding. He shuffled over so he was sitting besides Taako on the sofa.          

 

“Okay cool cool.” Taako opened his phone again, “So what’s your full name and all that.”

 

“Kravitz Queen.” Taako nodded and typed it in. The first thing to come up was a link to an article, dated back to 2013, with the title ‘ _ Local boy reported missing _ ’, followed by a variety of similar headlines. It wasn’t a lot, and Taako glanced at Kravitz trying to decipher some sort of reaction, but there wasn’t much to get out of two glowing orbs for eyes. 

 

Taako stopped scrolling when he saw a link for a twitter post, dated back only a few months made by Istus Queen. 

 

“That’s my mom.” The void said softly, “She and mother must have gotten married, her last name wasn’t Queen before.” The shoulders slumped even more. 

 

“Do you wanna look at it?” Hovering with his thumb over the phone, Taako looked at Kravitz. After a moment the darkness nodded before focusing on the phone. He clicked on the link. 

 

The first thing to come up was a family photo. It had clearly been taken in the summer, with two women dressed in flowing dresses standing besides Kravitz on a beach, smiling a the photographer. Kravitz resemblance to the woman standing to the left of him was apparent, with the same dark skin and high cheekbones, black hair done up in intricate arrangements and both dressed in dark color. The woman to the right was shorter, white hair and light blue dress contrasting with the other two and a round face shining like the sun. 

 

The picture was captioned with ‘ _ 5 years.’ _

 

“That’s Istus,” One long finger pointed at the shorter woman, “She used to complain all the time that me and mother only would dress in black.” He sighed, “I guess they’re still looking.”

 

“I mean, isn’t it good that they’re looking? At least now you know they care about you or something?” Let the record show that Taako wasn’t good at comforting people but at least he did try.

 

“I guess? I just don’t want them to worry.” Kravitz voice was concerned, and he leaned back against the sofa. “Though it’s a bit too late for that isn’t it?”     

 

“Afraid so dude. At least you kept the whole dressed-in-black thing going huh.” Tako joked weakly, and to his surprise Kravitz laughed. 

 

“Yeah, to be honest I forgot how I used to look. It’s hard to maintain a human shape when there’s nothing containing you to it, you know?” He stretched out his hands for emphasis, spreading his fingers that were at least twice as long as Taako’s.

 

“I actually don’t know but I’ll guess I’ll find out. You can’t just like, copy how you look from the photo or something?” Taako waived with the phone, and the glowing orbs shifted to stare at his face. 

 

Kravitz hummed. “Can you zoom into the picture please.” Taako did as asked and watched as kravitz focused on the picture. 

 

Slowly he started to change, the fingers became shorter, the body became more human shaped and the area around the eyes formed cheekbones, a nose, a strong jaw and it kept going. It was like watching a person in a very dark room, where there wasn’t really any light to distinguish specific shapes. Kraviz seemed to be made out of shadows and darker shadows, creating a vague body and facial structure. 

 

He looked human, almost.   

 

The glowing orbs were the only thing not changed, and they flickered up. “Did it work?” 

 

“Hell yeah! Lemme pull up the camera real quick and you can see for yourself.” He turned the phone around with the front camera on to Kravitz. 

Kravitz orbs began to glow brighter. “Oh my god, Taako you’re a genius!” He reached up with a hand to his face, studying it. “This is amazing.” 

 

Taako felt his cheeks heat up. “Nah, it’s fine, you changed your whole fuckin body dude.” 

 

“No, really, this is amazing Taako. Thank you so much.” Kravitz said, and, too Taako’s surprise, hugged him. It felt like being surrounded by a really light blanket, but Taako didn’t mind. It was the closest thing to human contact he’d had in weeks, he didn’t wanna let it go for anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVELY FANART! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)


	13. Sinking trough chairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nanowrimo is slowly killing me but i finally caught up with the wordcount so hopefully i'll survive these last days!! 
> 
> i hope you like this chapter and please leave a review <33

 

Most people worry over the fact that they haven’t lived their life to the fullest before they die. It’s a slow feeling that creeps up on them on slow days, on those times in life where everything is moving so slowly and the feeling of being stuck in one place grows larger with every exhale. It can grow into a panic, a desire to do something new because of the fear of missing out on life itself. Not a lot of people know when they’re going to die, and perhaps that adds to it, a yearning for new experiences fueled by an unknown expiration date. But if you were to know when your final day was, wouldn't you try to do everything you ever wanted? Everything you ever dreamt or been afraid of?

 

Death is an impossibly effective adrenaline kick, noting that should be contained.

 

Taako was stuck in a sparsely furnitured home with creeping shadows and no way to get out. It was a prison without any iron bars and Taako had earned himself a death penalty as soon as he entered the house. The guards were eyes looking in from every window and the executioner was John. His cellmate was the ghost from a former executed prisoner, and the prison was one of the most haunted places in the country.

 

The metaphor had gone a bit out of hand, but so had Taako’s life so it vas valid. There wasn’t much to do in his house, prison, haunted place that he owned, whatever, and Kravitz had slipped away a few hours earlier to probably hide in some shadowy corner.  He’s asked Kravitz earlier that day how he handled being stuck in the house for 5 years, because Taako had only been there for less than a week but the need to do anything else was like ants under his skin.

 

According to Kravitz, all the residents in the house stayed in a state of near sleep, sunken into the dark corners of the house where they were unbothered by time passing, slowly losing sense of who they used to be. It wasn’t how Taako had imagined the rest of his life being like, it wasn’t how he wanted to spend the rest of his existence.

 

Being stuck in the house had made him ansty, he hadn’t realised that there was a difference between staying inside by his own decision versus forced house arrest. It helped that Kravitz was there, he had some interaction at least, some company besides a cannibal that came and went just to threaten him. But that didn’t mean that Taako wasn’t crawlnig up the walls. Staying hours and hours scrolling on Twitter didn’t seem that appealing when it was the last three days of his life. 

 

Another thing that was slowly turning worse just like Taako’s mental health was the food in his fridge. Bi-weekly grocery shopping isn’t available in Taako’s schedule at the moment and would never be again, he only had about one day until most of the food would start turning bad. So Taako had to do something about that, and the only thing he could do was cook. 

 

So that’s how Taako spent his day, making food that would outlive him. It was nice, something for him to focus on instead of the existential crisis that was slowly growing in the back of his mind.  He made pasta with tomato and garlic sauce and let some mozzarella cheese melt on top of it before pouring into a bowl altogether and placing it in the fridge. It would last a couple of more days that way, it would probably be moldy when Lup and the rest would arrive to his house the next weekend, but hopefully they focused more on him missing than the food in the fridge.  

 

After that he fried the chicken in soya and rice vinegar, then chopped up thin carrot slices and adding them to the pan with some white pepper for seasoning and a light pinch of salt. He had some rice somewhere that’ll probably go well with the dish, or maybe glas noodles. 

 

The potatoes could manage fine, Taako decided, and the salad was a bit hard to make into a cooked meal but if he ate that tonight it didn’t have to stay and grow fungus all over itself. 

 

He spend the majority of his afternoon preparing food, even if it wasn’t necessary, even if he was going to die. Because it made him calm, and despite everything that had happened it was easy to find happiness in something so simple and familiar to him. Taako didn’t have to worry about anything when he was in front of the stove, he knew how to handle himself and everything around him. It was a controlled area in his life that he’d always been able to handle no matter what was going on.   

 

It was a bit ridiculous to set up plates and light candles for a fancy dinner at 5pm on a thursday night for two people but Taako was past caring what other people thought about him. Besides who there to judge him? The dude who’d been dead for the past 5 years or the cannibal who had the least amount of proper interaction skills in the world?

 

Kravitz showed up just as Taako placed the appetizer on the table, asparagus wrapped in bacon and fried in sunflower seed oil with a pair of sliced tomatoes on the side. It was a simple dish but Kravitz seemed keen on inspect it intensely over his shoulder.

“You good there Krav?” Taako said, moving out of the way to grab a bottle of white wine that was standing on the counter. “You want wine or sometin’?”

 

“I can’t consume any sort of food or drink Taako, so thanks but I think I’ll pass actually.” He’d taken to pointing one long shadow-y finger against the food, only for the tip of the finger to disappear. 

 

“Well that must fucking suck dude, can’t say I’m looking forward to it.” Taako poured up the wine in his crystal glass that he usually saved for important or extra fancy events. “D’ya wanna sit down? There’s two seats at this table.” 

 

“Oh.” Kravitz void form turned from human to an unshaped blob for a second before he composed himself. “If it won’t bother you- yes.”

 

“Cool!” Taako felt his neck flush, he hadn’t planned to ask Kravitz to stay, but some company would be nice. “Fuck wait let me pull out your chair dude, we’re doing this properly.” 

 

Kravitz whole form seemed to melt, turning sinking down to the shadows on the floor cast by the candles on the table as Taako laughed at him. The void had changed a lot since Taako met him and it was  _ pleasant _ to have someone to share the weird and horrible experience that was living in the house. Even if Kravitz spent the night in Taako’s bedroom, waking him up by slamming doors and bones scratching on the inside of his wardrobe it was better than being alone.

 

“You gonna stay on the floor during the dinner?” Taako raised an eyebrow and bit his lip to stop himself from laughing yet again as Kravitz slowly rose up with his shoulders raised high and a small smile on his face.

 

“I- I’d return the favor if I could but eh,” he waved a bit with his hands, “it doesn’t really work for me.”

 

“Nah it’s chill. Kinda be weird if you got up from your seat and pulled out my chair just after a did the same for you.” Taako sat down, and after a moment of hesitation reached for the wine bottle and poured it into the glass in front of Kravitz as well. “Don’t say  _ anything.  _ This is only an excuse for me to drink more, nothing more.” 

 

He had a feeling that Kravitz knew he was lying from the grin on his face. “Oh shut up.”

 

“I didn’t say anything.” Kravitz defended himself, still grinning. Taako rolled his eyes and started eating. It was quiet around them for a minute, and Taako wanted to say something but he had no idea what, so he just focused on his food and let the awkwardness start to grow around them. 

 

Until the TV turned on. It was some french song that he’d never heard but it was slow and the singers voice was deep and soothing and the it felt fitting with the candles and wine.

 

“Is this okay? My mom always liked to have music in the background when we had dinner and yeah…” Kravitz trailed off, still with a lopsided smile on his lips.

 

“It’s great. Really.” Taako said. “You made a good call, very french and, uh, very romantic.”

 

“ _ Yeah _ !” Horrified, Kravitz slapped his hands over his mouth when his voice came out high pitched and cracked in the middle of the word. “I mean, it’s okay if you don’t, I don’t wanna be like overstepping anything and I’m so sorry if i made you uncomfortable and I can turn it off or switch or-”

 

“No it’s super fine, if there was anyone I’d have a home dinner date with I wouldn’t opposed to it being you, ya know.” He threw in a wink for good measure and then burst out laughing again. 

 

Kravitz stared at him, and then fell down through the chair, becoming one with the shadows. Taako could hear him making embarrassed noises from under the table. “So I’m guessing you’re gonna spend the whole dinner at the floor.” He teased.

 

“No, just finish eating that and I’ll be okay.”

 

Taako went back to his dish, stopping to drink after a few bites now and then. It wasn’t how he expected the night to go but it didn’t feel like it could have turned out better. From under the table Kravitz was humming along to the music, seeming content as well. 

 

“It’s time for the main course dude so I hope you’re not under the table or I’m calling this whole date thing off.” He was only half joking. He grabbed the plate with chicken, noodles and salad and placed it on the table. Taako glanced back to the shelf where he kept his wine, technically a red would fit better with the chicken, but considering the last time he’d tried that it had turned into a fucking heart he had stayed away from them as much as possible. An irrational fear perhaps but Taako didn’t see the need to change it. 

 

“What are you eating?” Kravitz politely asked when Taako sat down, glowing eyes looking at the food. Taako didn’t want to imagine how hungry he must feel after not eating for that long, how hungry he himself would feel after five years.

 

“Um it’s just a thing I threw together once. I can do better if I have better stuff but yeah this is just sorta emergency food.” He took a bite, “It’s super simple you just-”

 

Taako whipped his head around to stare at the door. Someone was knocking.

 

The music stopped abruptly and was replaced by the sound of static. “Kravitz, do you. Do you think it’s John?”

 

“It’s too early to be him.” Kravitz whispered back and Taako hadn’t even realized he’d lowered his voice. “Wait here.” 

 

He disappeared, not in the fun abrupt way that he’d done earlier, now his body seemed to turn to static in front of Taako’s eyes before melting into the TV. A clicking sound came from the door, and it was like Taako’s veins had been filled with lead as the lock turned around and the door opened just a millimeter. Then it slammed shut and the lock turned back and Kravitz was once again sitting on his chair. 

 

“So it’s not John.” He said and a Taako breathed out. Thank God. “But there’s someone out there and he’s carrying a bouquet flowers?”

 

“What?” Taako couldn’t think of anyone who’d be coming to him with flowers. It was possible that it was Merle who still didn’t know that he wasn’t supposed to come visit that weekend, but he wouldn’t be carrying un-planted flowers. “What did he look like?”

“Somewhat tall? Gimme a second and I might be able to.... Something like this?” Kravitz whole body changes shape, he got just an inch taller with slimmer arms and shoulders, big hands, square jaw and hair hanging unkempt around his chin. Taako started. 

 

“Oh.” He said and Kravitz turned back to himself. 

 

“Is it someone you know?” His eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting his lip. 

 

“Yeah.” Taako swallowed, it felt like the air had been punched out of his stomach. “It’s my ex.”

 

There was another set of knocks on the door. Taako rubbed his hand over his face, drowned Kravitz glass of wine and went to open the door for Sazed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVELY FANART! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)


	14. Starvation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooo a new chapter!! I wrote most of this the last day of nanowrimo (which i completed!!!!!!) but I got the flu the day after and I'm finally good enough to write again!
> 
> Fun fact: on my google document the last chapter was named "non-cannibalistic dinner" 
> 
> and like these last days I've been obsessing over Radical Face, so if you like indie folk music that's got a bit of a creepy side i def recommend his songs! Wrapped in piano strings is so fucking good and I've actually started crying over how amazing Secrets (cellar door) is, so yknow. He also has this one song called Bad Blood where he sings about when his family threw him out of the house when he was 15 I think, and that's a real heartbreaker. (I love him so much i'm just ut here promoting him)
> 
> ANYWAYS I hope you like this chapter!!!!!

The first thing Taako noticed when he opened the door was that Sazed hadn’t changed much. 

 

He had the same hairstyle as when Taako had last seen him, the same worn out leather shoes and even though Taako was sure the clothes were new they were in the exact same style as Sazed always worse. It was like going back two years in time, hell Sazed had even bought the same red roses as he’d get for Taako every now and then.

 

Taako was so glad they weren’t together anymore. It was amazing what raising your standards could do. 

 

“Um, hi?” There wasn’t much else he could say, it wasn’t like he’d expected his ex to just drop by with flowers and while it would have been unwelcomed any day of the week, it was extra unwelcomed on Taako’s three days from dying weekday. 

 

“Hey.” Oh God he even had the same cheesy smile as before, ugh. “Heard you moved. Thought I should stop by with a little gift.” He presented the flowers like they were the most thoughtful thing ever. They’d be a great decoration laying in the trash, or they could just stay in Sazed’s hand, it would be the same really. 

 

“Yeah. How did you get my address?” Only a few people knew about the move, Taako couldn’t remember posting information about it online.

 

“It’s in your latest instagram post, so it seemed like an open invitation.” He still hadn’t stopped smiling and Taako wanted to sink through the floor, what was worse; his memory or the fact that Sazed stalked him on instagram? The latter obviously, but only by a little.

 

“Oh cool.” Taako still hadn’t moved from the doorway, hopefully Sazed only wanted to give him the flowers and then leave but knowing his own luck and also what kind of person Sazed was made that chances of that about zero. Maybe John could come on an early visit as well, but then he’d be stuck in the house with Sazed for all eternity and that just didn’t seem like a good time at all. Not that anything about Taako’s fate seemed good, but it was kinda like comparing the levels of Hell in Dante’s Inferno, he’d rather be stuck in circle four than down at the lowest level with Lucifer and Sazed. “Thanks for the flowers I guess.”   

 

“Eh it was nothing! Hey I was thinking that it was a while since we last hung out, so maybe I could come in and chat for a while. Just for old times sake?” Sazed could take his old times and remove themselves from Taako’s property as quick as possible. But Taako had never been talented in saying no to Sazed, something he realized hadn’t gone away after he’d already stepped aside and let the other into the house.

 

“Wow, you’ve really upgraded Taako, this place is like, way above the apartment you had before. No offence of course.” Swaggering in like he was the one who owned the house Sazed looked around the open floor. Yeah, it was a better place, because Taako was in a better place mentally than he had been two years ago. 

 

“Yeah. It comes with getting a better paying job.” God Taako just wanted him to go away without him actually having to tell Sazed that. Unfortunately Sazed was only good at catching the hints he wanted to catch and ignoring everything else. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye Taako saw his own shadow on the wall flicker and ripple before taking the shape of Kravitz. His glowing eyes stared at Taako, glanced to the side to Sazed before looking back. Taako shook his head just the slightest, mounting ‘not now’ and stepped further into the house. 

 

“Did I interrupt you in the middle of dinner? I’m so sorry Taako I had no idea.” He hated that Sazed sounded genuine, like he was actually meant his words. And maybe he was genuine but Taako was just tired of having to accept every little thing Sazed had done wrong. It might have been two years since they last saw each other, yet it felt like Sazed hadn’t changed a bit, not just appearance-wise.

 

“Yes. It’s like 7pm dude. Prime dinner time.” He crossed the room to the stove, where the main course laid prepared in the pans over low heat. It was enough for two people, especially if Taako made some dessert. He had hoped that the dinner would be with Kravitz instead, even if he was a matter-less being with glowing eyes who couldn’t eat. It said a lot about Sazed that Taako prefered the company of a dead man to his, or maybe it said a lot about Kravitz. 

 

“Well… You don’t seem to have anyone over so I hope you don’t mind that I stay. I have a bottle of red wine in the trunk of my car as payment if you want.” He winked, “I know you’re all stingy about the taste or whatever, but wine as wine right?” 

 

Taako had not gone on two different wine courses and learned all about the wine-geography of France to agree with that statement. He also wasn’t going to drink red wine ever, in fear of it turning into a heart again.

“White works better with chicken so, em, let’s skip your five dollar bottle.” Taako said, barely keeping from rolling his eyes. Sazed only shrugged and promptly sat down on the chair that Kraviz had sunk trough just a few minutes earlier.  

 

Behind him Taako could see the shape of the void staring down at Sazed. It didn’t look like Kravitz anymore, instead it was the twisted form from when Taako had moved in. Human in the most loose terms, with orbs floating around where it’s face might be. Taako swallowed. “Let me just, uh, change shirts or yeah I need to get something from my room be back super quick.”

 

He didn’t check to see if Kravitz was following him, he could see the shadows in the hallway stretch and move besides him, going with him inside the bedroom. 

 

“ _ What the fuck?”  _ He hissed out as soon as he’d closed the door. 

 

“I’m… Sorry?” Came Kravitz response from the other side of the room, glowing eyes watching him from the corner. Taako sighed and sat down on the bed, back facing Kravitz.

“Uh yeah. Why the fuck are you acting all creepy again? You had a whole human lookin’ thing goin’ on.” He stared at the closed door. It was weird, he shouldn’t have forgotten that kravitz wasn’t alive, and he hadn’t, he’d just  _ pushed it aside _ . Except for how he looked, Kravitz acted like a normal person. Seeing him act like he had in the beginning was odd, and a little scary. 

 

One day Taako would be like that as well, a shadow without a human form roaming around the walls of his own house, waiting for the next victim to move in.

 

“He shouldn't be here.” 

 

“Yeah well neither should I so that argument doesn’t work buddy.”

“No like Taako, you live here. He doesn’t-” Kravitz sighed. “He’s a disturbance. And since he doesn’t live here he’s fair game, anyone can take him.” 

 

“Seems to me I was pretty much fair game for John as well.” Taako snapped. It was unfair to be angry at kravitz, he hadn’t done anything wrong- he was stuck in the situation as much as Taako was, but he was so  _ casual  _ about it. Yeah sure Kravitz might have had five years to accept and learn everything, that didn’t mean that he had to act like Taako was supposed to know this, because, spoiler alert; nobody had told him anything! 

 

He’d just walked into a newly bought house and then been told he was gonna be the next meal of a psychopath who ripped people’s hearts out and stored their bones in a closet. How was he supposed to handle any of that? 

 

“It’s not like any of this is super chill for me, but let’s just care about my ex who’s such a great human. Yeah he’s definitely the one we should be concerned about here! Let’s get him out! Wonderful!” There was a crawling sensation in Taako’s hands, he wanted to punch something. He wanted to get the frustration out, he wanted to scream and trash the whole place down and set fire to the remains. 

 

But he had to be calm, Sazed was in the other room, and he might be the dumbest person on earth when it came to Taako’s emotions but even he would know something was wrong if Taako decided to start a riot. “I’m just so chill and cool with staying here! Gonna be eaten by a cannibal but that’s yknow a fucking normal day or whatever!” 

 

“Taako… You can’t be angry at me for not wanting him to get eaten. I, you gotta understand that right?” Kravitz voice was carefully neutral, and Taako resisted the urge to turn around and look at him, to see what his face looked like. What his reaction really was.

 

“No, like of course not. But, ugh.” He clenched his jaw. “Like it wouldn’t be that bad.”  

The shadowy corners in the room seemed to turn even darker, and the clock on the wall started ticking out of rhythm. The space seemed larger, with no concrete ending to the shadows and the uneven tick-tock echoing around the room. Unease crept up Taako’s spine like a spider, webbing the feeling around him and making him curl up. 

 

“So you’re saying that he is fair game then Taako?” The darkness grew, creeping up the walls and spreading out over the floor from under the bed. Hastily, Taako pulled his legs up. He had a feeling that he didn’t want to touch the shadows. “This is a house filled with people who haven’t eaten anything in years.”  Kravitz laughed, a cold sarcastic sound. “Do you wanna know something? The only thing that we can eat, the only thing that will actually fill us up, is human meat. And after five years of starving, well, you can imagine it’s hard to resist saying no to you literally offering him up on a silver platter.” 

 

The void slid out from the dark mass that was the floor, form uneven and stretched out. Taako couldn’t breathe, whatever was in front of him wasn’t Kravitz. It was the shape of something that had been starved for so long it had lost its shape and become a void, hungry for anything that it was allowed to eat. “I don’t want to eat him Taako, believe me. But you’re making it really hard.”

 

It shuddered, and for a few seconds it looked like Kravitz again. “Get him out of here, I was the resident that got eaten before you, the others have been here much longer. I don’t think they’ll let him go when they realize he’s here.”

 

Then he disappeared, sinking down between the floorboards like spilled ink and taking the darkness with him.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVELY FANART! srsly it's so good i went back and looked at it today it's amazing!!!! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)
> 
> My Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)
> 
> don't forget to comment! You have no idea how much it matters to me, seriously, it makes my day <3


	15. Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi so haha sorry this is so late i don't have a good excuse there was just a lot going on in my life. Y'all get a extra long chapter for the extra long wait tho :)
> 
> I hope you all had a good christmas and new years! I spent mine with my fiancée in America and it was my first 'american christmas' and it was quite different from how we do it at home
> 
> this story is close to getting done though!! i estimate about 4 chapters let at the most before it's completed :,)
> 
> anyways, back to the creepy stuff

_ “Get him out of here, I was the resident that got eaten before you, the others have been here much longer. I don’t think they’ll let him go when they realize he’s here.” _

 

Dinner with Sazed was a particular sort of torture that Taako never wanted to experience ever again. He knew it would have been awkward to sit down and pretend to have a somewhat normal conversation with an ex who decided to skip town rather than to actually break up no matter what. But combining it with the looming threat of a murder just waiting to happen made it so much worse.

 

Every shadow that moved caused Taako to jump in his seat, every little noise that came from outside the kitchen had him freeze up. Logically Sazed was likely to survive the night without being eaten and go on with his life like normal, but Taako had learnt that the house he lived in didn’t operate on logic. There was nothing that stopped a hungry resident from noticing the fresh meal sitting in the middle of the house, and there was little Taako could do to stop it from happening. 

 

He’d tried in multiple ways to hint at Sazed to just get the fuck out and leave him alone, but he’d either waved it away or completely miss what Taako was saying. It was like talking to a wall, not that different from when they were together, the only change was the fact that Taako no longer thought it was cute or cool in a standoffish way. 

 

It was a bit tragic he realized, that he wouldn’t ever get to experience being in love. What he had felt for Sazed wasn’t love, it had been a combination of admiring, tension and bad self confidence. Sazed had been the first person to pay attention to Taako, to be attracted to him and willing to act on that, it had been flattering and Taako had let himself be swept away despite what everyone told him.   

 

Taako sighed, ignoring whatever Sazed was talking about and looked to the TV. Kravitz usually spent his time around it, switching channels back and forth or he’d spend it with Taako. Talking to him and getting to know him. If Sazed hadn’t knocked on the door his dinner with Kravitz would have been perfect. Casual and domestic,it was the sort of romantic evening Taako wanted. His death felt alarmingly close when thinking about things that could have been. Taako wished he could say that he lived a long and fulfilling life, but he hadn’t. Yearning filled his chest like poison, and Taako didn’t even want to think about all the things he’d planned, dreamed, wanted and wished to do that now would never happen. 

 

He should have traveled, he had wanted to get a cat, he’d planned to buy a new cookbook. There was a million other things that Taako wanted to do, that just felt so hopeless. He couldn’t even make the most of his last days. Instead he was spending it with his ex, eating cold food and wishing that a dead man would keep him company instead. 

 

“Hey Taako are you okay? You’ve been spacing out like, a bunch.” Sazed said, and Taako regretfully forced his focus back on him. 

 

“Yeah I’m just a bit tired dude. Yknow how it can be.” it wasn’t even a good lie, but Sazed seemed to swallow it because he nodded and took a bite out of his food. Honestly he didn’t care if Sazed believed him or not. He was a trivial part of Taako’s life, a wind blowing in through the window from Taako’s past that had no business being in his new house. 

 

Behind the TV the shadows flickered. For a moment it looked like a hand was stretching up along the wall, but it disappeared just as quickly. Taako had never seen Kravitz do that before, mostly the void just  _ appeared  _ whenever he felt fit. Hopefully this meant that Kravitz was over their argument. Sazed hadn’t been over for too long, it was impossible that the others that Kravitz talked about had noticed so soon. It took Kravitz a while to notice him when he first moved in, and Taako was planning to have Sazed out the door right after dinner was over.

 

Mostly because he didn’t want him to get eaten, but also because he didn’t want to have Sazed sleeping over and getting ideas. Boys always seemed to think that Taako meant more if he invited them to crash at his couch.

 

Sazed kept talking as Taako continued to stare at the TV. The shadows behind had started to move and darken, until there was a pitch black space by the wall. It looked like a hole cut in reality, no light reflecting of anything. It slowly sunk over the TV and then slithered over the floor like a snake to the shadows under the sofa. It was strange, but Taako had seen Kravitz melt into a pile and sink trough a chair in embarrassment.

 

“Seriously you’re doing it again?” Sazed’s voice cut through Taako’s fond memory from earlier that dinner when he had better company. 

 

“Yes. I’m  _ so _ incredibly sorry.” He almost wanted to roll his eyes, but the other shadows around the room had started to darken as well. The corners of the room were dark as midnight and they seemed to pulse, growing and collapsing in uneven rhythm. 

 

Sazed scoffed, putting his fork down and crossing his arms. “Wow you really have changed. Was it just recently you decided to be a bitch or did- did that just move?” 

 

Taako turned around in his chair, trying to see whatever Sazed had seen. Kravitz would have hid himself better right? The only thing that Sazed could have reacted to must have been the shadows. He didn’t care about being called a bitch, he’d been called much worse before and after the breakup, Sazed’s words hardly hurt anymore. 

 

He could see what Sazed was referring too though, in the hallway next to the kitchen there was the outline something moving. It looked vaguely human shaped, Taako could make out a head and what looked like long thin arms with spidery fingers dragging along the walls. There was no eyes, and Taako had never seen Kravitz without them. He’d never seen Kravitz looking like that either. This shadow looked more starved. 

 

Slowly he turned back to Sazed. 

 

“Okay,” He started voice low. If they didn’t make any sudden moves or loud noises they would be fine for a while longer, hopefully. “Don’t panic now yeah? Just be very calm.”

 

“Taako what the fuck is that?” Sazed’s face had gone very pale and he was starting to breathe quicker. Taako shushed him.

 

“Listen I don’t want to explain it because you’d freak out so uh, let’s just get you out of the house real quick.” Slowly Taako pushed his chair backwards, grimacing as it scraped against the floor. He turned around to look at the thing in the hallway, it was by the bathroom, close to the kitchen opening. They were both from equal distance to the front door, if Sazed booked it he would make it out.

 

“There is something creeping in your house and this is your reaction? What the fuck?” Sazed hissed at him, looking very sceptical but getting up anyways. 

 

“Yeah well I’m the one who lives here so how about you listen to me huh?” Taako shot back, and took a few quick strides towards the entryway. The shadows around them were getting darker and Taako could feel his heart beating in his chest. The others wouldn’t touch him- he was John’s meal, but that didn’t mean that they didn’t look at him like he was food. 

 

“W-what’s happening?” Sazed grabbed hold of his upper arm with his hand the next step Taako took, and he could feel the tremors going through Sazed’s body. The thing was getting closer and Taako took another step. He just needed to unlock the door, open it, throw Sazed outside and close it. That was all. It was so close. 

 

Behind him Sazed screamed. 

 

Taako whirled around. Sazed’s hand dropped from Taako’s arm to cradle his other hand. Blood dripped down to the floor and ran down his arm. Behind him, the shadow stood, dark red marks around where it mouth should have been and making panting sounds. 

 

Sazed was saying something, repeating words that tripped over each other in his hysteria but Taako couldn’t make out what. He was too focused on the thing in front of him. He hadn’t seen it move from the corridor, and it would probably try to rip something more of Sazed if they moved. 

 

He didn’t know what to do. The darkness around the room made it smaller, there was no place to hide, no place that wasn’t within the house. 

 

From under his feet another dark shape started growing, and he took a step back, dragging Sazed with him. Taako closed his eyes, maybe if he just pretended nothing was in front of him it would go away. It hadn’t worked before but he didn’t want to look at the shapeless face stained with blood. 

 

“Didn’t I tell you to get him out of here?”

 

Oh thank god.

 

Taako opened his eyes, looking into Kravitz glowing orbs. He was close enough to block the sight of the shadow and Taako could hug him for appearing. 

 

“Yeah well, he didn’t wanna leave?” It was a weak explanation that Kravitz only rolled his eyes at before looking behind him.

 

“How important is your guest to you Taako?” He asked, completely serious. It wasn’t what Taako had expected. 

 

“What?”

 

“The simplest solution would be to leave him, you wouldn’t even have to get involved. Just push him aside and go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and it’ll be like he never was here.”

 

“I’m not going to kill him! What the fuck Kravitz? That’s like, super messed up!” He exclaimed. And it was true, while Sazed was annoying at best of times Taako didn’t want him  _ dead _ .

 

“ _ You _ wouldn’t kill him but okay yes I get it.” He paused for a moment and the sound of the other creature’s breathing was gone. Taako looked over Kravitz shoulder but couldn’t see anything. “He’s behind the counter so we need to be quick. Taako, do you trust me?”

 

Taako stared at him. “Uh yes. Why?” 

 

“Because we’re going to go to the one place in this house that the others won’t touch, the basement.” Kravitz reached forward with one hand and placed it against Taako’s cheek before the void seemed to spread around and envelop them. He could feel nothing. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to comment and stuff like that <33
> 
> follow me on tumblr where i sometimes post art and talk about Trans!Kravitz @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)
> 
> JUST THE MOST AMAZING FANART! [ HERE ](http://galliumspoon.tumblr.com/post/173957474735/had-a-sketch-after-reading-the-inbetween-by)


	16. The inbetween ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The living come with grassy tread  
> To read the gravestones on the hill;  
> The graveyard draws the living still,  
> But never any more the dead.
> 
> The verses in it say and say:  
> ‘The ones who living come today  
> To read the stones and go away  
> Tomorrow dead will come to stay.’
> 
> So sure of death the marbles rhyme,  
> Yet can’t help marking all the time  
> How no one dead will seem to come.  
> What is it men are shrinking from?
> 
> It would be easy to be clever  
> And tell the stones: Men hate to die  
> And have stopped dying now forever.  
> I think they would believe the lie.  
> \- Robert Frost

It is to be known that Taako had no idea that there even was a basement when he moved into the house. The floor plan said it was only one floor, and there had been no mention of a basement or even a former basement, and he hadn’t really thought much about it the first time Kravitz mentioned it, so he had no expectations on how it would look.

 

But he didn’t have to consider his surroundings much when the void dissolved around him, it was just a cold and damp space, so dark that he couldn’t even make out his hand in front of him. Beside him, Sazed made a weak sound, something akin to a frog being strangled. The only thing he could really see in the basement was Kravitz glowing eyes, shining slightly in front of him.

 

Despite of everything, Taako didn’t feel particularly phased. It felt like all of his emotions had been drained out of him, leaving only his spine made out of steal and fists tightly clenched.

 

“Are you sure nothing else will come down here?” He asked Kravitz.

 

The void melted together with the darkness around them and for a moment Taako imagined that it was Kravitz still surrounding them, that they were still stuck in the void and that it would fade away to reveal a room lit up by some light source. But of course that didn’t happen, they were stuck in the darkness for God’s knows how long. Or well, Taako was stuck there until it was time for him to die. He could imagine John making Sazed watch his tortured death before devouring him as well.

 

Kravitz nodded, eyes going up and down in the middle of the air. “Yes, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone go down here. John avoids it too, it might help to… Preserve you for a bit.”

 

“Excuse me Taako but what the absolute fuck is happening!?” Sazed had finally found his voice, albeit he sounded hysterical. Taako turned towards where the sound came from, trying to catch a hint of Sazed in the dark to no avail.

 

“I, it’s a long story.” Maybe he owed Sazed the apology, but Taako wasn’t in the mood to explain the whole situation. Especially not to Sazed who’d invited himself to the house and therefore it was his own fault for having had his finger bitten off.

 

Taako grimaced. Okay so blaming Sazed for falling victim to the cannibalistic leftover being of a human wasn’t fair. He might have been uninvited and interrupted a not date with Kravitz but considering the predicament they all were in it felt stupid to focus on a minor detail. Taako might not be a realist but there was little chance any of them would make it out of the house alive. Sazed has just postponed his death.

 

“Yeah well considering that my fucking finger got bitten of by a fucking, I don’t even know what that thing even fucking was! You owe me an explanation. Now.” Sazed’s voice was still highly pitched and Taako was sure that if it wasn’t for the dark he’d be seeing Sazed’s usual panicked face. But maybe it was different this time, maybe having a finger bitten off made him look like a deer in headlights that knows it’s about to die a painful death.  Maybe it was the same look Taako had seen behind his eyes when he stared into the mirror.

 

Okay, maybe that was a bit to grim. Taako had never been good with metaphors and he wasn’t about to start describing his fear of death in weird comparisons with animals.

 

“Uh, so okay, you’ve watched horror movies right? Well imagine that this house is like the main place it’s set at right, and uh, there’s dead people living in the walls or some shit and the killer may or may not come back to this house in like 24 hours.” It felt like an electric bolt was travelling down his spine saying those words.

 

There was only 24 hours left before it was the day he was going to die. John hadn’t specified a time when he would arrive, so if Taako was lucky he’d wait until it was the exact same minute they first met, but something in him found that hard to believe.

 

Kravitz eyes did a little roll. “Is that really the best explanation you can come up with?”

 

Sazed startled like he hadn’t noticed Kravitz before now, like the dark shadow engulfing him in the kitchen earlier hadn’t happened at all. “What the fuck is that?”

 

“This is Kravitz.” Taako told him slowly as if speaking to a child. “He’s a former resident of the house and I know he looks kinda, weird, but he’s chill. A nice dude.” Way to go Taako, you really nailed that.

 

Kravitz sighed. “What he means is that I’m dead and has been for quite some time. I don’t really feel the need to describe how I died, I think you’ll just throw up if I did so…” he trailed off, letting the words hang in the air for a moment.

 

Sazed mumbled something before taking a step back.

 

“I’m sorry what did you say?” Taako turned his attention back to him.

 

“I said that I’m done. Great prank you got going Taako really amazing. Now let me go before I lose more than two fingers to this, this fucking revenge scheme or whatever.” Sazed hissed out before taking another step back. Taako hadn’t realized he’d lost two fingers, and guilt settled in his gut.

 

“What? No it’s not a prank! Why the hell would I even do that, I didn’t even know you were gonna crash my dinner date!” He glared in the direction of Sazed, who he could hear take another step backwards. “I’m so sorry that you had to show up and be dragged into this death trap of a house and I might hate you so much but I don’t want you to be eaten alive as a dessert!”

 

“You can’t be fucking serious Taako, I knew you were delusional but this is really way over the top even for you.” Sazed sneered, voice sounding fainter as he continued to make his way from them.

 

“I think,” Kravitz said, voice flat, “That you’d better calm down. Now.” And the air around Taako grew cold. Kravitz eyes didn’t sit besides each other, they were floating around, each having a life of its own.

 

Taako could imagine the shape he was in, the humanoid form with too long limbs and void pulsating. He wasn’t afraid of it, he knew he should be but Kravitz was a victim in this as well. He was a bit hurt by Sazed’s words, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard from Sazed before.

 

“Yeah super cool but you can stop with the special effects dude.” His voice shook a bit, maybe he was starting to realise that this was real. “If y'all didn’t notice my fingers got bit off so maybe we could focus on that and getting me to a hospital, huh?”

 

“You won’t be able to leave this place. I could take you upset but I don’t think you’d make it out the front door in one piece or even alive. The others who live here are very hungry.” The sit around Kravitz got even colder. “In fact, I’ve been starving for 5 years. The only reason I’m not chewing the muscles off your bones is because Taako asked me not to. But self restraint can be very hard so I wouldn’t try to do anything stupid if I were you.”

 

Yeah that thing Taako said about not being afraid of Kravitz? Scratch that.

 

Sazed let out a hysterical sound that might have been a laugh followed by the sound of him knocking something over and then a loud thud as he coloured with something else.

 

A flicker, then, light.

 

The space around them was lit up by them lamps on the ceiling, illuminating the polished kitchen and the dinner table, the TV at the far end of the room behind a sofa and the corridor leading down to a bathroom and bedroom.

 

Every shadow was deeper and darker than normal, the shapes odd and everything was dyed in a rotten orange colour. It was like looking through a pair of glasses meant to distort and discolour the world, but Taako recognised the place immediately.

 

It was his kitchen, but not. He’d been here before, watching Kravitz crawl to his bedroom before hiding under the bed and listening to him being eaten alive. The blood trail from the hole where his heart had been and his injured leg was still on the floor, staining it like spilled wine.

 

“Oh.” Kravitz said softly besides Taako. “I didn’t think this place would be here, I always expected it to exist somewhere else. In between reality and this house, not just below my feet.”

 

Taako only nodded. Around the room he could see other dark red stains and the air smelled like something was left to rot in a closed room for a long time. Taako could feel the stare from the eyes looking in through the windows.

 

It was like stepping back into a nightmare. A horrible dream that never really ended and continuously got worse as time progressed on. He preferred the darkness to this, he didn’t want to see the sick imitation of his own house that was going to be his sanctuary away from the world that instead had been turned into a death sentence.

 

Whatever fight had been in him before, whatever little will to survive had clung to his heart escaped him, and Taako sunk down to his knees. This was it, wasn’t it? This was where he was gonna die, hidden in a basement where nobody would find his body.

  
Hope is the last thing that leaves, and Taako would have cried- _should_ have cried over every awful thing that had happened. But he felt nothing, because really, what use was it crying over something inevitable?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not on my computer while posting this so please go back to the former chapter and check out the link to the Fanart because it super fits this chapter and honestly I still love the drawing so much <333 
> 
> Comment, give kudos, do all the good stuff and I’ll see you all in the next chapter


	17. Old aches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this has taken a while to post, i recently got some really Awful family news and i've been in a bad state for the past days. im not really over it but i felt writing would be a good distraction
> 
> anyways!!! we're close to the end guys! i think theres gonna be like 3 chapters more? i thought about splitting this chapter in 2 but since im a bit late you'll get a longer chapter instead!!!

The stumps where Sazed’s fingers used to be were still bleeding. If they weren’t treated soon his hand would be infected, but Taako didn’t have any bandages or pure alcohol in his house up above, and he wasn’t sure there would be any in the basement. Not that he’d gone to look.

  


He hadn’t done much the last minutes, hours, however long time had passed. The feeling of despair had gone away and been replaced by acceptance. Five stages of grief over his own death experienced, acknowledged and passed in what felt like a blink. All that was left now was waiting. 

  


Kravitz had started acting strange, form glitching from the void to looking like he’d done the last time Taako was down here to looking vaguely like a human shadow a moment later. He didn’t really seem bothered by it, instead he was sitting beside Taako on the floor, staring at the blood trail leading from the kitchen to the bedroom. 

  


Taako wished he could say something, tell Kravitz that he didn’t need to be here with him, that he was sorry for dragging him down here to the scene of his own murder. He also so desperately and selfishly tell Kravitz to  _ stay with him  _ and never leave. Because Kravitz had been there the whole time and in some twisted way Taako didn’t want him to leave during his death either, he wanted him to stay by his side as John ripped out his heart, plucked out his eyes and chewed on his muscles. 

  


“It won’t hurt.” 

  


Taako startled. He turned to look at Kravitz who was in the same position as before, he looked like a dark patch in the middle of the room.  Kravitz cleared his throat. “Dying. It won’t hurt that much. Its painful, at first. John is good at dragging it out but you’ll stop feeling it after a while.”

  


Takko blinked. Kravitz looked like he did when Taako has seen him alive last, but where his left eye should have been was just a gaping hole. He looked a bit embarrassed but he was still looking at the blood. “I’m sorry. that might not have been the most comforting. I, I don’t know how to make this better for you but I want to. It’s just… Hard.”

  


The odd colors in the inbetween made the blood on the walls and floor look black, melting together with the shadows creeping around the corners of the room. In the background Taako could hear the static of the TV. 

  


“It’s okay.” he replied, voice soft. “I don’t- it’s not your fault that I’m here.”

  


“No, but it’s not your fault either.” 

  


Taako didn’t know what to say to that. But wasn’t his fault in the end after all? He was the one who hadn’t wanted to get out of the house when Kravitz first had shown up, because it was new and it was his. God he’d really turned into a character from a horror movie. He was probably the dumb dizzy one who died first of all just due to being stupid. 

  


“Hey uh what the fuck are you talking about?” Okay Taako was wrong. Sazed was the dumb dizzy one because just never knew when to shut up and then he’d die without having affected the plot in any way except to bring some relationship drama.

  


Beside him, Kravitz sighed annoyed, and the flesh from his cheek disappeared more and more, revealing darkness where his bones should have been. “Dying.”

  


“Yeah I got that. Why are you talking about it?” Sazed said, walking over to the kitchen to lean against the counter, carefully stepping over any dark blood on the ground. In the dim light Taako couldn’t see his eyes clearly. 

  


“There’s like a day left until I’m gonna die so I’m trying to mentally prepare for it, yknow to kinda lessen the blow when it happens.” Taako wasn’t sure that was the reason they were talking about it. Maybe it was just  _ something  _ to talk about, little else felt important enough.

  


“Is it that thing that did this-” Sazed gestured to his fingers, “that’s gonna, uh, get you?” He swallowed and Taako felt a bit bad for him. He might not like Sazed but he didn’t want him to have toi witness his demise, it wouldn’t bring comfort to either of them.

“No.” Kravitz cut in. “No that was Jess, I think. She used to live here in the 70’s or something. She’s one of the more active ones, the rest of us just waste away in the shadows. It’s hard living when you have no body and the only thing you can feel is hunger.” 

  


“Oh.” Was all Sazed said.

  


“How many are there?” Taako asked. “Like am I gonna have to fight anyone to sleep on the bed or?” He meant it as a joke but it hadn’t come out right and he didn’t feel like laughing. He was sure that the others felt the same.

  


“It’s crowded. You’ll understand better later but, there’s someone in every shadow in the house, there was so often you’d sit at the sofa and I could see their eyes looking at you from all over the room.” Glowing eyes looked at Taako. He stared back, breathing deeply.

  


“Yeah that’s creepy as fuck but still doesn’t answer my question.” Oh my god Taako was seriously going to punch Sazed before he died, if that was the last thing he did. Fuck feeling bad for him, Taako would show him his death on repeat if it meant that Sazed suffered. 

  


“There’s this dude name John and he’s a cannibal. He might perhaps also be my landlord even though I’ve bought this house, please don’t ask how it works because I have no clue.” Was it weird that Taako knew so little about his soon to be killer? 

  


“His last name is Hunger.” Kravitz told him, smiling just barely. 

  


“You’re shitting me.” Taako raised his eyebrows. 

  


“No, he gave me a business card the first time I saw him. It said John Hunger in all caps, he’d even printed his signature on the back.” He was smiling more now, not wide by any means but still there. 

  


“John Hunger the Cannibal.” Said Taako and nodded his head. “Yeah that, that makes sense. Did it say what he was doing, like his occupation on the uh, card?” 

  


“No but he’d written ‘owner of this house’ in sharpie on it so…” He chuckled, “He used to come visit sometimes, whenever my mothers weren’t home. I’d made a deal with him when we arrived to the house. My death and unrest for him to leave my mothers alone for as long they lived here, otherwise he’d eat all of us within a week. I got 6 additional weeks to live, but I was trapped in the house and he’d just show up. Sometimes he brought a bottle of wine and he’d tell me about how I’d die, how I’d taste.”

  


The void stared straight ahead, both Taako’s and Sazed’s attention completely on him. “That’s why I didn’t want you to agree to a deal. I might have caused you to die quicker but.” Kravitz glanced at him, moth pulled into a thin line. “I didn’t want you to have to go thought that.”

  


“Yeah that’s,” He started to say but then trailed off. 

  


Taako didn’t know what to say. Was he supposed to be thankful for a quicker death that didn’t involve daily visits by his executioner or angry that Kravitz had deprived him of what could have been 6 additional weeks of living? He’d be able to see Lup one last time had he taken the deal, instead of just dying and leaving her with no answers as to why. It didn’t really matter, he’d made his choice and now he had to stand for it, with only a few more hours before the consequences would finally catch up to him fully. 

  


“You don’t have to like it and I’m, I’m really sorry Taako. You don’t deserve this.” Kravitz looked human again, dressed in a white shirt, hair pulled up into a sorta half bun at the top of his head and sad eyes avoiding Taako’s. And, oh, he was crying. 

  


Sniffing, Kravitz continued. “It’s so shitty living like this. It’s just wasting away in a old house until nothing matters… And then you moved in and I just wanted to save you or something because it was a chance to  _ better.  _ But John came and you were trapped here like the rest of us and I’m just so sorry.” 

  


Tears burned behind Taako’s eyes. “It’s okay dude. Like it fucking sucks and all but it’s ugh, it isn’t your fault.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “For what it’s worth I’m sorry too, hell you shouldn’t even be apologizing you tried to get me out I was just too stupid to get out.” His throat felt too tight and his voice was thick. 

  


“We’re over 20 people dead in this house, I don’t think it has anything to do with you.” Kravitz sniffed again and blood started to spread over his shirt where his heart used to be. Cautiously Taako shifted closer. His heart was beating heavy in his chest and his rib cage felt too restricting.

  


Kravitz looked at him, eyes glowing and tears sliding down his dark cheeks. 

  


“It’s okay, seriously.” Taako said and slowly, carefully he grabbed Kravitz hand, lacing their fingers together. Kravitz squeezed it hard. It hurt a bit, but it was grounding and felt more real than anything the past day.

  


“Well fuck.” Interrupted Sazed. “This is fucking sad and I’m sorry to say this but I’m not getting through your emotional bonding without being too drunk to remember it. Where's your wine Taako?” 

  
  


Sazed had the emotional capacity of a teaspoon but at least it halted Taako’s tears substantially. “The fridge.”

  


“Cool.” Sazed stepped over more blood and opened the fridge. “Wow you really stacked up on red huh.” 

  


Taako looked up, the fridge was filled with wine bottles, all laying in neat rows stacked on top of each other. There was no food in sight. That was weird, Taako had cooked up much of the food in his fridge sure but there was still stuff other than alcohol in it before Sazed came over. 

  


“I don’t have that much wine.” He stated as Sazed pulled out one of the bottles. He read the label with furrowed brows before looking at Taako again.

  


“What sort of wine is ‘Angus McDonald’?”

  


Kravitz let go of Taako’s hand in an instant and was grabbing the bottle from Sazed the moment after, looking at the label before pulling out another bottle from the fridge and looking at that as well. Then with another, and then yet again. 

  


Taako got up and slowly avoided stepping in any of the dark stains on the floor and walked up to stand beside Kravitz. He’d placed each of the bottles on the counter and Taako could see the white labels of them, each with one name written in sharpie and nothing else. 

  


Kravitz stopped, holding a bottle, staring at it. The label read ‘Kravitz Queen’ in the same handwriting as the other ones. His hands were shaking. 

  


“Could you grab a glass please?” He asked, still not looking up from the bottle. Taako nodded and did as asked, placing the wine glass he’d selected in front of Kravitz on the counter. Slowly he undid the cork and tilted the bottle over the glass.

  


If it had been an unopened bottle of red wine it would have started running down into the glass, but nothing came. Kravitz had almost turned the bottle upside down when three red drops fell into the glass. It didn’t look like wine. 

  


“That’s not wine.” Sazed stated, looking down at the bright red marks on the glass. Taako glared at him just out of principle.

  


“No.” Kravitz agreed and his chest heaved. He placed the bottle on the counter as well just as his whole body lost form and became a void. “I think that’s where my heart is being stored.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit me up on Tumblr @[Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)
> 
> don't forget to leave Kudos and comment and all that <33
> 
> thank you all so much for reading as well i have over 2k hits on this and that's just Amazing


	18. The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, hope you’ve had fun reading this <3
> 
> It’s a extra long chapter because i really wanted to fit everything i wanted into it! Therefore it took a bit longer

“I think that’s where my heart is being stored.”

 

Taako stared at the bottle, and then looked at all the others on the counter and in the fridge. All wearing the same white label with a name scrawled in sharpie, he didn’t want to count them, to know how many people who died in the house. Would his heart end up in a bottle like that?

 

“Can we get it out?” He asked, looking at the void. “I- I don’t really know what to do with a heart but it’s gotta be better than keeping it in there?”

 

Sazed raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. “And how are you gonna do that? Break the bottle? Have fun with a heart filled with glass shards.”

 

“Oh my god do you have to be so annoying?” Taako spat back. Sazed being there made everything so much worse, he couldn't even have a mental breakdown in peace without a stupid comment. If both of them died and had to stay in the house forever Taako was gonna go insane in a week.

 

“Can you hold onto the bottle for me Taako?” Kravitz cut in, “I’m not in the uh, best shape for holding things.”

 

Taako nodded. Kravitz looked like he’d done the first time Taako saw him, just a black shape cut out from the rest of reality with his eyes moving lazily on his head. It wasn’t scary but definitely the least human Kravitz looked. The darkness seeped through the cracks in the floor and followed Kravitz as he made his way out of the kitchen and into the corridor and then into Taako’s bedroom.

 

Both he and Sazed followed, Taako holding the bottle by its neck.

 

The window was gone, in its place was just a solid wall decorated with the same curtains as in Taako’s room above. On the floor he could see the trail of blood from where he’d seen Kravitz when he was human crawl to get away from John. The whole room smelled rotten, and in the orange light the blood looked almost black but the shine reflecting from the light outside in the hallway showed that it was fresh. It could have been mere minutes ago that Taako had crawled under the bed and listened as Kravitz got eaten.

 

On the wall, the clock ticked on in the same unrhythmic way that it did whenever Taako woke up at night. The sound of scratching was still heard from the wardrobe. Maybe that was where Kravitz bones actually were, stored away and left in the basement, the one place nobody would go to. Taako took one step to the side to walk over there but stopped when Kravitz spoke.

 

“Oh.” Kravitz was standing in front of the clock, his back turned to Taako and Sazed and shielding them from it. He looked more human, but there was still something a bit off about him, his limbs a bit too long and his torso a bit to thin. “I thought there’d be more time left for you.”

 

Ice spread over Taako’s spine, he’d completely lost track of time. There must still be hours left, enough time to go over everything he’d wanted to say to Kravitz and just more time. “How long?”

 

He didn’t want to know the answer. Let him live in ignorant bliss for just a little while longer. Give him time to figure out a way to get out of the house with his life intact and not leave anyone behind. His mouth felt dry and he was tense enough that his shoulders hurt, but it wasn’t important.

 

“Not enough.” Kravitz voice was deep and he spoke quietly before moving to the side revealing the time. Taako stared. The minute handle moved once and then the clock froze. The noises stopped.

 

Seven days had passed.

 

Even in the bedroom, furthest from the front door all three of them could hear the sound of knocking.

 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

 

The scratching from the wardrobe grew louder, more urgent like whatever was in there was desperately trying to claw its way through the wood. Taako thought his heart might have stopped, or it was beating so fast he didn’t even feel it. He couldn’t breathe and his hand was gripping the bottle so hard that his fingers were turning white.

 

“I’m sorry Taako.” Kravitz said, and he looked like himself now, standing in front of Taako with shaking hands. He hadn’t noticed Kravitz moving, but he felt his hands, one of them closing around Taako’s over the wine bottle and the other cupping his cheek. They were cold and light and more real than anything around Taako ever had been.

 

A second round of knocking sounded and Kravitz hand tightened over his, but Taako could feel the tremors. “It’s going to be okay, okay Taako? You don’t have to open the door now, just stay here for a while okay.”

 

He tried to say something, but all that came out of his throat was a strangled noise. His body felt too big and his heart felt too restricted a the same time. Kravitz pressed him against his chest and Taako let out a hysterical laugh because there was no sound of a heartbeat, no feeling of Kravitz breathing in because he was dead and his heart was in the bottle Taako was holding in his hand and that was what was gonna happen to him as well and soon he’d be stuck in the house just starving away and-

 

He breathed out. Kravitz was there, talking to him, telling him that it would be okay. It was a lie and they both knew it of course, but it felt nice. A last calm stop before Taako would die.

 

“Can you promise me one thing?” Kravitz whispered against his ear.

 

“Uh, yeah.” Taako wasn’t sure he’d be able to say more, or it it was loud enough to be heard. It felt like a final goodbye, but they would be stuck in the same house for eternity.

 

“Keep my heart safe please. Or at least keep it away from John. I don’t want him to have more pieces of me than he already got.” The sound of the lock turning startled both of them, and Kravitz took one step back but kept his hand over Taako’s still. He looked over at Taako and smiled, it was just a small tug at the side of his lips but it was enough. “It’s going to be okay.”

 

Footsteps approached them and the ice along Taako’s spine that had been melted by Kravitz hug came back tenfold. He shook of Kravitz hand and hid the bottle behind his leg, trying in vain to take some deep breaths and calm down.

 

It felt like an age had passed until the footsteps stopped just beside the door frame out of view. Sazed was cursing under his breath and when Taako glanced over to him his face was while and his hands were holding onto his shirt for dear life.

 

John stepped inside the room, looking just as he’d done the last time Taako saw him. He was wearing the same gray suit with black tie and his shoes were polished and dirt free. If it wasn’t for the sadistic grin on his face he’d probably look like any normal human being. But as it was, he looked at Taako like he’d been starving for years and suddenly a feast had been placed in front of him. Taako didn’t think it was possible for his body to be filled with more fear, but he was wrong.

 

John said nothing, ans swept his gaze from Taako to Sazed, who made the same sound as a mouse did when stepped on. John only raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise and then moved on to Kravitz. His smile videdend, showing off more teeth and pink gums than ever before and Taako shifted the bottle to conceal it more behind him.

 

“It’s been a long time Kravitz.” John spoke, voice soft but tone mocking. “How are your mothers? I haven’t seen them in a while.” He was dragging it out Taako realized, purposefully playing with his food before eating it. He was a starved man but he could wait a bit longer, there was no need to rush, his food wasn’t going anywhere.

 

“John.” Was all Kravitz said, taking a step forward. His form loosened and it only took a few seconds for his body to become the mass that was the void again. John frowned.

 

“You really should be a bit more grateful don’t you think? I gave you a better deal than most get. Can’t you indulge an old friend in a conversation? It’s been so long since we talked.”

 

The hair on Taako’s arms rose, and he bit his lip as Kravitz took another step forward. There wasn’t much space between him and John now, it wouldn’t take much for John to reach out and grab Kravitz. The air felt loaded, everyone was waiting but Taako didn’t know for what.

 

“How about we move this into the living room?” Kravitz suggested, and Taako wondered if the others could hear the slight tremor in his voice where he otherwise tried to sound so casual.

 

“I don’t see why not.” He smiled again and turned to Taako. “It’s so nice of you to bring your friend along, unfortunately you didn’t make a deal so he can’t help you, but I always appreciate something extra to spice up my meals.”

 

“Uh,” Taako didn’t know what to say. The waiting game should have been over, he should be devoured by now. This he hadn’t planned for, the added torture. “I-“

 

He got cut off by the scratching from the wardrobe that one again stated up, just as urgent and loud as before. John shot the wardrobe a look before turning back to him and walking out the bedroom and calling back to them “We’ll continue this out here where there’s no distractions.”

 

Kravitz grabbed his wrist as soon as John was gone. “We’re gonna follow him, and whatever you do, don’t run for the door. Not when John isn’t occupied with other things. That’s how I lost my leg, he’ll purposefully leave the door open so you think you have a chance. Don’t take it.” Then he too was out, a shadow gliding through the room.

 

Taako glanced at Sazed who was sweating. He was sure he wasn’t looking better. “Are you like, good?”

 

Sazed snorted and rubbed his hands over his face. “Fucking no. I’m gonna fucking be eaten as a side dish all because I wanted to come by your place and get some good food and maybe sex. Instead this happens. What the fuck.”

 

Taako blinked. His eyes stung a bit. “Yeah… It be like that I guess.” He didn’t know what else to say. “Can you keep track of this bottle? I, I don’t want to bring it out there.”

 

Sazed nodded and grabbed the bottle from his hands. It didn’t feel right to give it away after he’d promised Kravitz that he’d keep it out of John’s hands, but it was better than walking out to the living room with the bottle practically like a gift.

 

There were no more words to be said. Taako clenched his jaw and tried to stop it from shaking, this was it, the moment of execution.

  
  
  
  
  
  


John was standing in the middle of the living room alone. The dim light in the room cast deep shadows under his cheekbones and eyes, and his fingers were skin and bones. He truly looked like man who hadn’t eaten in five years. It didn’t make Taako feel any sympathy for him.

 

“Well, we’re a little after schedule but I’m sure we can make up for lost time, don’t you agree?” John said, taking a step forward. “It wouldn’t bode well to give you any ideas about survival now would it?”

 

Taako closed his eyes. The door was just a few steps to the side of him, open like Kravitz had said it was going to be. It showed a staircase, which must lead up to the first floor. And It would be so easy to go from there as well, just sprint to the front door and open it and he’d be out. But he couldn’t. Because he knew what had happened to Kravitz, had seen his ripped leg and how he crawled across the floor to in vain try to escape John.

 

When he opened his eyes again John was standing just an inch from him. Taako flinched. John’s dark eyes were staring straight into his, iris and pupil blending together so well that Taako wasn’t sure if his eyes were just dark green or completely black.

 

“Ever heard of personal space?” He joked weakly. John did not seem to find it funny, in fact the smile on his lips slipped into a frown.

 

“I’m so tired of my tenants thinking they’re smart.” John sighed, “We’ll get this over quickly then.”

 

So quick that Taako couldn’t react John’s hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him upward. Taako choked and tried to get air or swallow or anything, but john was to strong.

 

He wanted to curse John, hurt him in some way to just make him let go but nothing seemed to work. In vain Taako tried to claw at John’s hand, digging his nails into the flesh but John just kept holding on.

 

Taako’s lungs screamed in pain, and John took a step into the kitchen. “I’ve always eaten my food raw, but you’ve inspired me Taako. I’ve been watching you of course, and you always seem to have so much fun in the kitchen so I think it’s high time I try preparing a meal for myself.”

 

John grinned before slamming Taako’s head down on the stove. His grip loosened for a moment and Taako sucked in a breath and coughed out spit over the glass surface. His head was spinning and the left side of his face that had met the stove felt warm and hurt.

 

“You’re so fucking sick man.” He managed to rasp out, then John once again tightened his hand. Blurred and far away he could see the door still standing wide open.

 

“I think the contrary Taako. I’ve had years years to refine my tastes. It was hard in the beginning of course, nobody is born to eat humans but rather it’s a development.” Taako could hear the clicks of the thermometer being turned, and the side of his face gradually started to feel warmer.

 

“I was the first person to move into this house, way back then.” John continued. ”It illuminated me, made me realise I was supposed to be superior to everyone else. It only required a small sacrifice, but humanity is easy to give up. Ah, it’s getting a bit tiring now so I thought I should make a successor- you know Kravitz right? He’s the only one that has had potential but of course, that didn’t go as planned.”

 

The heat was burning Taako’s face, and he closed his eyes. It hurt so much.

 

John’s other hand was pressing down on his shoulder, and then slowly moved down his back, until it stopped between his shoulder blades. “This might hurt a bit but I don’t actually want you to die, not now at least. I just need to borrow your heart for a short while.”

 

Taako cried out, a gurgling sound that only resulted in more spit on the stove top. John was on his way to rip out his heart. Desperate tears poured from his eyes and even with them closed his vision was swimming from the loss of air.

 

John fingers were pressing hard against his back and it would only be moments before they broke through the skin and trough his ribs and-

 

John let go.

 

Taako shot up, swallowing down air as quick as he could. Half of his face was burning and pulsing and even though Taako’s hand was sweaty it felt cool against his cheek. He kept his left eye closed, squinting with the other and turned around.

 

John was suspended in the air by darkness, thick hand like shapes gripping his arms, legs and torso tight. He seemed to shocked to speak, mouth opening and closing and eyebrows furrowed. One long hand made of shadows wrapped around John’s throat. Taako gaped. The darkness spilled out from the cracks in the floorboards and seemed to grow, swallowing more and more of the room until it reached the ceiling. Suddenly, glowing eyes blinked at him from the mass, one pair at first but moe and more emerged, focusing either on him or on John.

 

“What?” Taako asked, voice raspy and weak both eyes now open. He could hear static from the TV in the background, and the clock ticking unevenly from his bedroom. The void stepped out from the darkness, becoming more and more human before Kravitz was standing in front of him, with skin and bloody shirt and all.

 

He smiled slightly. “I told you it would be okay.”

 

“Uh yeah, but like, I didn’t expect this.” Taako vaguely gestured at John behind Kravitz.

 

“It was the only solution I came up with.” Kravitz trailed off and looked back for a moment, “John might be the owner of the house but he hasn’t eaten in five years. This was the only chance we would get at revenge.”

 

John screamed, horase and pained. One of all the former tenants had ripped a piece of flesh from his stomach. Taako grimached at the sight, there was no blood spraying out from John’s body, instead the stench of rotten meat and intestines spread around the room, and he could see the gray and old meat that John was made up of.

 

John screamed again and something else took a bite out of his shoulder.

 

“You should go now. I don’t think we’ll keep John alive for long, and who knows what’ll happen when he’s gone. I think you’ll be able to get out, your time is up after all, there’s no need to keep you inside.” Kravitz liked his lips and worked his jaw, and Taako saw tears from in his eyes.

 

Kravitz placed his hand over Taako’s on his cheek and pressed their foreheads together. “You were the first person in five years that treated me like a human, thank you.”

 

His hand was cold, and Taako felt his own tears spill over his cheeks, this time not from fear. This was goodbye.

 

“I’ll miss you.” He whispered and then kissed Kravitz. It wasn’t the best kiss maybe, but it felt like the world stopped for one moment, and this wasn’t the end, this wasn’t the last time they’d ever see each other. Kravitz tears were mixing together with Taako’s on their cheeks but he didn’t care.

 

“Goodbye Taako. I hope you find a better home after this.” Kravitz said when he broke the kiss, and then he disappeared, assimilating with the darkness behind him.

 

It took another one of John’s screws for Taako to realize that he’d been rooted to the spot and that he hadn’t stopped crying, despite the salt burning his left cheek. He sniffed and made his way back to the bedroom, vision blurred.

 

Neither Sazed or the wine bottle was nowhere to be seen when Taako stepped into the room. The sound from the clock was much louder in the room hiding any sound that Sazed might make. The wardrobe door was open just an inch, but Sazed wouldn’t be able to stand in there without Taako seeing him through that small slit.

 

“Um. Hello?” He called out and his voice sounded terrible even to his own ears. “Sazed?”

 

There was the sound of a bedspring moving and then Sazed crawled out from under the bed, bottle in one hand and dust covering his shirt. “Oh thank fuck it’s you Taako I thought it was you who’re screaming.”

 

He seemed genuinely relieved, but Taako didn’t really care for his emotions now. From the living room John screamed again, louder and longer. “We need to go, like right now.”

 

“Yeah sure okay no problem do you wanna carry to bottle or should I?” Sazed said impatiently, hands shaking. Taako glanced at the wardrobe doors again. There was no sound of scratching but that didn’t mean that the bones weren’t there.

 

“I’ll take it, just give me a moment alright? I need to collect some things.” He didn’t wait for Sazed to answer, and went over to the doors and opened them.

 

There on the bottom was a pile of old bones and a skull. They looked aged and uncared for, spots of old colour covering them in odd places and it was a miracle none of them were broken or damaged. He’d promised he’d protect Kravitz heart, but it felt wrong leaving the bones behind.

 

“Do you have a bag?” He called out to Sazed, and spun around to see if there was any in the room, but it only contained his clothes and the bed.

 

“Uh no, not here. I got one in the hallway do you want me to go get it?” He seemed anxious to get out, standing just by the door to the hallway.

 

“I don’t think we have time. Fuck okay yknow what?” Taako rushed to the bed and grabbed one of the pillows and ripped of the pillowcase. It wasn’t the best but it have to work.

 

Quickly he shoved the bones inside, ignoring how they felt in his hands and that he was holding Kravitz skull because surely that would make him cry harder. “Okay. Let’s go.”

 

Sazed took off, running down the corridor and Taako was one step after him, clutching the pillowcase with both arms. In the living room John looked torn to shreds, his suit hanging in long stipes and his bone exposed in patchy places all over his body. It was like a bunch of vultures had attacked him and he was barely hanging on to life.

 

Taako stopped by the stairs for one moment and looked at the darkness around John, trying to see if there was anything in there that could be Kravitz, but it was just a solid void. He tore his eyes away and continued upward.

 

The stairs ended abruptly, there was a few floorboard that had been removed to the upper floor that he had Sazed managed to get trough, and then they were out from the basement. It was light in the house, the morning sun shining through the windows and reflecting of everything. Taako almost had to close his eyes, it was so different from the inbetween with it’s deep shadows and dull lights, but there was no time for thinking about that place.

 

The house was shaking, picture frames were moving on their hooks and there was a crash from somewhere in the house. Taako looked at the front door, it was open and right outside it was Sazed’s car. He only needed to make it through that door and then he’d be out.

 

But. One part of him wanted to stay. Stay and see if Kravitz would make it, if there was one single chance that Taako couöd actually get to keep all of him, not just a hear and some bones.

 

Sazed’s hand around his wrist tugging him forward made his feet move, and Taako stumbled out the front door and out into the sunlight for the first time in seven days. It felt heavenly, it felt like the saddest day in his life.

 

“Get into the fucking car so we can get the hell out of here now!” Taako opened the door and did as Sazed had shouted, still clutching the pillowcase of bones. Sazed placed the wine bottle next to Kravitz and started up the car.

 

“We’re fucking leaving.” He breathed, shoulders relaxing as he stepped on the pedal.

 

In the rear view mirror Taako watched as the whole house fell down on itself a second later. He clutched the wine bottle closer to his chest and breathed, before he broke down.

 

He hadn’t even said goodbye back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s gonna be an epilogue don’t worry 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ [Newspapernom](https://newspapernom.tumblr.com)


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